Model Behavior
by Tyson FoxFlame
Summary: [Taito] Tai has a crush on Matt, only Matt doesn't know about it. How can Tai get his attention and make Matt realize his feelings? By entering a male modeling contest of course! For CCPheonix's Taito Contest.
1. Me? A Male Model?

Hey everybody! Yea Yea I know, why am I starting another fic? Well, this one is actually for a purpose. This is for CCPheonix's Taito contest. If you want to enter, here are the rules.  
  
1. No Taiora, Mimato, Sorato or Michi  
  
2.Must have Taito, even if its unrequited,  
  
3.Must be an 01 or an 02, NO tamers or season four  
  
4.It must include roamance  
  
Those are the rules. The closing date is 30th June If it includes the above four relationships I wont read it!  
  
Those are her words, not mine so there ya have it. I told her I'd advertise for her. Anyway, so yea, this is another Taito. And I honestly have no idea where this idea came from. I just thought it'd be interesting for something like this to happen. Summary says it all. So sit back, relax, and enjoy! Not even gonna bother with the disclaimer.  
  
Tai's POV  
  
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Call me crazy if you want but I can't help feeling like this. I hate Saturday. Well, maybe not Saturday in it's entirety, but just this Saturday. On a day that I SHOULD be outside playing soccer or hanging out with my other friends, but NO....I get to be in a mall shopping with one of my best friends.....WHO HAPPENS TO BE A GIRL! Can you tell that I'm not happy about it?  
  
"C'mon Tai, you could at least pretend you enjoy this." Sora said, snapping me out of my thoughts.  
  
"Yea, I could....but I probably won't since I hate this." I retorted back. She ignored me and continued walking down the mall. I sped up to keep up with her.  
  
"Remind me why I'm here again?" I asked her as we walked in no direction.  
  
"Because you love me so much?" Sora replied sweetly. I rolled my eyes and gave her a look that said, "yea right." She just stuck out her tongue and made this weird sort of face.  
  
"Oh yea, very attractive, Sors." I smirked, which rewarded me with a smack.  
  
"Alright, so maybe it's not the love. But, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it's a certain blonde boy's 15th birthday in about 2 1/2 weeks. Shouldn't you be trying to figure out what to buy him?" She reminded me. Not that I needed reminding. I mean come on, how does someone forget their best friend's birthday? All right I admit, I forgot last year until the day before. And I forgot the year before that. But that's not the point.  
  
"I know. I remembered." I replied dully.  
  
"Just making sure because you've forgotten for the past 2 or 3 years." She said as we walked onto the food court for lunch.  
  
"I know. I remember." I replied dully as I followed her.  
  
"Ok, just checking because you don't want to do that to him again do you? Besides TK and his parents, your gift matters the most to him." She told me. I nodded and flopped down at a table.  
  
"Besides, do you realize what it seems like when you pull that kind of stuff? You make it seem like you don't even care about Matt." She drawled on. I finally snapped.  
  
"DAMNIT, SORA I GET THE FRIGGIN' POINT!" I lashed out at her. Damn it, she just doesn't understand. But I can't tell her. What if she is one of those people who would totally freak out about it? Pitiful, isn't it? I don't even know how one of my best friends, someone I've known since we were about 3 years old, would react to the fact that I'm gay. (AN: Tai already realizes his feelings for Matt. Makes it easier for me. *winks*)  
  
"You know what, Tai? Sometimes I wonder if you really do understand." She said, glaring at me.  
  
"You know what, Sora? You're the one that doesn't understand. So shut the hell up until you do." I shouted back, except you couldn't tell I was yelling at her because it was so noisy. She glared at me and I glared right back at her. So there we were, just glaring at eachother like total idiots for at least 10 minutes, before one of us finally said anything.  
  
"Alright you know what, Tai? Seeing as how I don't 'understand' as you put it, why don't you enlighten me?" She asked me cooly. My gaze narrowed a bit, although I'm not sure why. Sora's my best friend, one of them anyway. I should be able to trust her right? Right.  
  
"Sure. I'll 'enlighten' you as you put it. How about this for an answer? I'm gay and I happen to like Matt as more than a friend." I blurted out in one sentence. Silence fell upon us, making me feel a TAD bit uncomfortable about this whole situation.  
  
"So I WAS right." She said slowly.  
  
"Right about what?" I gulped and tried to read her expression.  
  
"You have a crush on Matt. I knew it!" she said, smiling widely. All right, say what?  
  
"You knew!?!?! How the HELL would you know? I never told you!" I exclaimed. She smirked a little and got up from the table. Wait, what about lunch? I jumped up and raced after her.  
  
"Tai, I can tell when a person likes someone. It was sorta obvious actually. I mean, I see the way you look at him. And you don't treat him like anyone else." She explained as we cruised down the mall AGAIN!  
  
"So...........it doesn't bother you at all?" I chose my words carefully. She smiled a bit and shook her head.  
  
"Of course not. I think it's kinda cute." She replied. I sweatdropped.  
  
"Don't tell me stuff like that." I moaned. She giggled a bit and continued walking.  
  
"But yea, I like him. I just don't know how to tell him. I don't think he's gay." I said out of nowhere.  
  
"How do you know? You never can tell how he feels or what he's thinking." She replied. She thinks she knows everything. Oh wait, that's actually true.  
  
"Alright smartass, how do I find out what he's thinking?" I asked.  
  
"Simple. Get his attention, duh." She smirked confidently.  
  
"And exactly how do I get his attention?" I asked again. She stopped in her tracks and thought about that.  
  
"I'm not sure actually...." she trailed off.  
  
"I knew you didn't. So I guess that plan's out the window of opportunity." I replied grimly. That sucks that that's the only thing she DOESN'T know. We continued walking around in silence, only broken by a girly remark about something in a window from Sora every now and then. I was lost in my own thoughts about Matt, and Sora in her own thoughts about....whatever girls think about. Which is why I crashed right into her when she suddenly stopped, causing me to fall on my butt.  
  
"Ow! Sora, what'd ya stop for?" I whined as I picked myself up from the floor. She didn't reply but instead exclaimed,  
  
"THAT'S IT!" and ran into the store. She returned 5 minutes later with some papers that she was intently looking over.  
  
"Yes! This is perfect!" she squealed as she flipped through random pages.  
  
"Sora? Mind telling me what the hell you're talking about?" I asked impatiently. She grinned and continued looking at the papers.  
  
"Tai, I think I found the most perfect way to get Matt's attention." She announced excitedly. She was REALLY starting to freak me out.  
  
"And what would that be?" I asked very cautiously now, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.  
  
"Check this out." She said, thrusting one of the papers into my hands. I turned it over, sat down, and read it.  
  
ODAIBA'S 5th ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL MALE MODEL CONTEST  
  
Male modeling contest for males age 14-19. Held on Saturday May 17, 2003. Must have application turned in by May 7. Cost: $20. Contestants will be judged in many attires including sportswear, casualty, eveningwear, etc.  
Call 765-4790 for more information.  
  
I looked at the paper, then at Sora, then back at the paper. Then I had my answer.  
  
"NO WAY!" I shouted as I handed the paper back to her.  
  
"Oh come on, Tai! It's the most perfect sure-fire way to get his attention." She reasoned.  
  
"AND THE REST OF THE ODAIBA'S ATTENTION AS WELL! I'd be the laughing stock of Odaiba High!" I shouted again, but then stopped yelling when I remembered where I was.  
  
"Not exactly. I looked at the pile of entries. Seems as though you have some of the school's best guys in the competition." She said slyly. I shook my head and decided not to even try and understand what she was implying.  
  
"Besides," she continued talking. "You're the one who wanted to get his attention. And I think that if you won this thing, you'd definitely get his attention. Maybe even his love." She said.  
  
"What makes you so sure that I'd win?" I asked her.  
  
"C'mon T. Look at you. You are, as Mimi would say, 'Too adorable for words.' She replied.  
  
"Oh? And when were you talking to Mimi?" I raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"A couple of nights ago on MSN. Meems and I both thought that you are definitely model material. And Mimi's a model over in New York herself so you KNOW that that means something." She replied confidently.  
  
"Yea, maybe." I mumbled. She grinned triumphantly. She could tell that she was wearing me down.  
  
"And since she's coming over soon, she can help you prepare and stuff." She added.  
  
"Mimi's coming to Japan? When?" I asked.  
  
"She said she'd be here on Thursday of next week. Then she leaves on the 19th, the Monday after the contest. When I tell her what you're doing and why, she's so gonna want to help." She said excitedly, thinking up little plans in her head.  
  
"WHOA WHOA WHOA! I haven't agreed that I'm doing this yet!" I said hastily. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"All right Tai. Time to tell you one more thing. First prize winner recieves $5000." She said dully. My eyes went wide in shock and I just stared at her.  
  
"So think about this, T. If you entered and won, you'd get Matt, $5000, and a title for something besides sports." She rationalized.  
  
"No. I'd get $5000, a title for something other then sports, and MAYBE a chance with Matt. We still don't know if he's straight or whatever." I said, bringing her back to reality.  
  
"I think he likes you." She said quietly.  
  
"Yea right."  
  
"Seriously. When I said that you treat him differently and look at him with love in your eyes, I meant that for both of you. You BOTH do that kind of stuff. I just don't think HE realizes it yet. But the contest would." She stated. I thought about it for a while, contemplating the risks and rewards.  
  
"So what do you say, Tai? You gonna do this or not?" she asked firmly. I sighed and stood up.  
  
"What do I have to lose?" I shrugged in defeat. Her eyes lit up and threw her arms around my neck.  
  
"This is gonna be so great, Tai! Just watch, you'll have Matt for yourself in no time." She said happily. If only it were really that easy. She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the mall.  
  
"Come on Tai. We need to get on MSN and talk to Mimi. And we need to start filling out your application." She said as we walked down the street to her apartment. And the whole time she did all I could think was, 'Male model. What have I gotten myself into?'  
  
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Like it? Hate it? Any preference?? Well, let me know what you guys think about this idea. And FYI, I don't know Japanese currency, so I used American dollars. If anyone knows how much $5000 US dollars is in Japanese currency, let me know in your review. As for the story itself, I have it totally thought out, so this will be out quicker then my other Taito that isn't moving anywhere. Which I should probably be working on...Oh well. Bye Peepz!  
  
Ixi_Vulpix 


	2. Sora and Mimi's Master Plan

Hey people! I'm SO glad you guys like this fic. When I told my friend I was writing a Male Model story, he just burst into laughter. But it's nice to see someone agrees with me that Tai would make a good model. =D Anwayz, time to answer reviews. I saw other authors do this in their fics, so I figured, "why not?"  
  
Sillie: I hear ya! Way too adorable for words.  
  
Umi Kitsune: Matt will be in this chapter briefly. And thanks for the info. $5000= 584,303.40 yen. Lots of yen.  
  
Fell: Did you ever ask CCPheonix about that? Hope so since I fail to have the answer.  
  
Matt4ever: thanks. I love that you love it.  
  
Burned Vamp: Thanks for the corrections. Sorry about that. Sometimes I'll get too worked up to post and I forget to check grammar. Thanks for all the compliments too. They made me feel special. And I like feeling special. =D And I want copies of those pictures!  
  
Redvind: don't worry, I'd NEVER EVER have Tai cut his hair. That's what makes him cute! *squeezes the life out of a Tai plushie*  
  
Me: It might be a Yamachi, it might not. Who knows how this will turn out. After all, it's coming from me, as in IV, not u me. *dazed look* that was a TAD confusing.  
  
NEo-cHaN: thank you n-chan. And I have to say that you are an awesome writer. I've read quite a few of your fics like Brotherly Love, In the End, and The Ups and Downs of Nature and absolutely loved them!  
  
CSMars: glad you think it's cute. I like cute things. Lol  
  
CCPheonix: Thanx Pheonix. And it wasn't a problem posting the rules in there. Hope you got some more entries that way. And what on earth is a wonder dog??  
  
Hannio: thanx. I'm glad you like it and think it's good.  
  
Shishi-Kokoro: thanx for reading and liking it. I've read a few of your fics as well. My favorite one is The Sight.  
  
Sora's POV  
  
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I am SO excited! Tai's actually gonna enter the Male Model contest. I practically dragged him to our complex and up to my apartment.  
  
"Hey T, just sit on the couch and make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna get online real fast." I explained to him. He didn't say anything in response. I looked over to him and saw he was already wrapped up in a show on TV. He is SO one-track minded sometimes. I typed in my password for MSN and watched it load. I looked at the screen and found the person I wanted to talk to.  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: Hey Meems  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: HI SORA!!!!!!  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: Whoa, lay off the caps lock  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: sorry. So wat's new?  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: ntm. u?  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: same old thing. I can't wait to come back next week!  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: I no, me neither. OOO!!!! GUESS WHAT!?!?!?  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: and u told me 2 lay off the Caps lock?  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: sry, but seriously. Guess what?  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: what? There I guessed. Lol  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: haha. But when you come down, you're gonna have a male Barbie to play with.  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~:??? Say what?  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: *smirks* Tai's gonna be a male Barbie for ya.  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: y on earth would he do that?  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: Let me tell u the WHOLE story.  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: see, well, u remember what the 17th is rite?  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: duh. Matt's b-day. OH AND I GOT HIM THE MOST PERFECT PREZANT TOO!  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: ok so Tai came shopping with me today. So I started talking to him about not forgetting Matt's prez this year and blah blah blah. So then he goes crazy and says, and I quote, "I'm gay and I happen to like Matt as more than a friend."  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: oh I knew that a while ago.  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: *sweatdrops* how did u know?  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: educated guess. Those two flirt so much w/o even realizing it. And it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO kawaii sometimes it's not even a joke.  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: yea that's what I said. Anywayz, so then he comes up wit the question, "How do I find out what he's thinking and how he feels?" So I respond, "Get his attention." He says, "how do I do that?" For once I didn't have an answer.  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: shock of the century. *smirks*  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: Oh shut up. So we were cruising the mall some more when I saw the most perfect idea. Tai's gonna enter the Odaiba high school Male Model Contest!!!!  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: R U SERIOUS!?!?!?!?? THAT"S AWESOME!!!!!  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: I sort of thought you'd react like that. Anyway, the contest is the Saturday of Matt's birthday. So I figured since you'd be here anyway, you could help Tai prepare for the contest u no? See I think if Matt sees Tai in a new light besides the jock, he'd realize his true feelings for him and they'd hook up.  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: that's kewl. But what about if they interacted some more before hand?  
  
GoDdEsS oF sOcCeR: my thoughts exactly. Which is why I came up with a plan.  
  
~ Barbie Gurl Living In A Model's World ~: O do tell.  
  
So I typed out everything that was going through my head to Mimi to see what she thought. We talked for a while longer, but then she had to go to bed. The time difference thing really kills. (A/N: isn't Japan like 8 hours different from America?) I logged off the Internet and walked to the living room. Tai was still watching TV and drinking a Pepsi.  
  
"Ok Tai, we need to start working on your application." I said as I clicked off the TV.  
  
"Aw c'mon Sors, I wanted to watch that. Besides, the applications aren't due until next Wednesday." He whined as I sat next to him.  
  
"I know that but we need to start so we at least know you're in the contest." I replied as I pulled out a pen and the form.  
  
"Name: Tai Kamiya. Age: 15. Class: sophomore." I filled in parts of the form.  
  
"STOP! I think I can do this on my own thanks very much." He snapped, snatching it from my hands.  
  
"Whatever you say." I said as he set to work. This is gonna be a while.  
  
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~ Half an Hour Later ~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!  
  
"AHA! Finished!" Tai said triumphantly, while throwing his pen down. I picked up the application and read through to see how bad he messed up.  
  
Name: Tai Kamiya  
  
Age: 15  
  
Class: sophomore  
  
Location: Odaiba, Japan.  
  
Interests: Soccer, video games, writing, drawing.  
  
What you would do to change the world: Create peace between all worlds,  
nations, and countrys.  
  
Most recent thing you've done to help the community: played in the chairity  
soccer game  
  
Family: Mother, Father, sister named Kari.  
  
Job you wish to do as an adult: Pro soccer player or some sort of business diplomatt. (A/N: doesn't Tai do something along those lines in the end of  
02?)  
  
Reason why for the above: Because I'm an excellent soccer player. I'd want  
to be a diplomatt because I'd like helping with different countrys'  
problems and negotiating how to deal with them.  
  
Things you look for in a person: good personalety, intelligent, somewhat sensitive, nice voice, sweet, fun to be with, best-friend type, and good  
looks especially blonde hair with blue eyes.  
  
What others say about you: wild, outgoing, spontaneous, good friend, cute,  
annoying, humorous, fun to be around.  
  
Final statement: My best girl friends say I'm model material. You decide  
if I am or not.  
  
Typical Tai, making it sounds like that. And he can't even spell. I fixed his spelling and handed it back to him.  
  
"Sounds good, T." I smiled at him. He smiled a little and looked it over.  
  
"Are you sure that diplomat isn't spelt with two T's?" he asked. I shook my head.  
  
"I can see what your mind is on." I smirked. His face flushed a bit. (A/N: Diplomatt. Matt. =D Couldn't resist having him spell it like that.)  
  
"Who came up with these questions anyway?" he asked. He looked at the paper confused a bit and I really can't blame him. I mean, who DID come up with those questions? Suddenly my clock chimed. It was already 6pm. Tai stood up and started looking for his shoes.  
  
"Hey I gotta run. Mom will be expecting me right about now. So I'll turn in the application later." He said as we headed towards the door.  
  
"Like hell you will. Give me the form and I'll turn it in tomorrow. I'll probably be down that way anyway since my mom's shop is down there." I replied and swiftly grabbed the paper.  
  
"What? You don't trust me?" he asked innocently.  
  
"Of course I don't. Not with this anyway." I retorted. He pouted a bit. I just laughed at him.  
  
"Ok so here's what we do. I'll hand in your application tomorrow. On Thursday, we'll go back to the mall to shop for the clothes you'll wear for the contest. That way Mimi will be around to help." I planned. He nodded.  
  
"Sounds good to me...and I gotta leave now. See ya later, Sora." He called over his shoulder as he ran down the hall.  
  
~!~!~!~!!~!~!~!~!!~!~!~!~ Thursday Afternoon, Normal POV !~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!  
  
It was Thursday the 8th of May. Only 9 days until the contest. After school Tai went home and flopped down on his couch. Then he remembered that he, Sora, and Mimi were going to go shopping. So he headed down the hallway and rode the elevator to the 7th floor. He walked to apartment number 626 and knocked on the door. Soon he was greeted with a familiar red-head who lived there.  
  
"Hey Sora. You and Mimi ready to go?" Tai asked as he leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"Go where, T?" she asked him. He rolled his eyes in response.  
  
"Quit trying to be me and act thick-headed. You two were taking me shopping for the contest remember?" he reminded her. Her eyes went wide and she slapped her hand to her forehead.  
  
"I am SO sorry, Tai. I can't today. Mimi's not here yet and I have to work at the flower shop." She said regretfully. Tai on the other hand was ecstatic.  
  
"That's ok Sora. We can go another time. Well, see ya!" he said as he started to walk away.  
  
"Wait a sec! I think I know someone who can go with you and has good sense. Hang on a second." She said and dashed into the apartment. Tai heard some talking and soon she returned.  
  
"What was that all about?" Tai asked her. She smiled.  
  
"Just getting a replacement for right now." She said cheerfully. Tai glanced at her and realized that she knew something he didn't. They were waiting outside for ten minutes.  
  
"Ok, I'm leaving. See ya later Sora." Tai said. Suddenly he was met face- to-face with someone. A blonde hair blue-eyed someone for that matter.  
  
"Hey Tai, hey Sora. What's up?" Matt said.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Tai said, quite surprised to see the object of his affection come out of nowhere.  
  
"Sora called me and told me to come over for something. What's going on Sors?" Matt replied.  
  
"Well, Matt I was wondering if you could do me a favor." Sora said sweetly.  
  
"Sure. What is it?" Matt questioned.  
  
"Well, see, I told Tai that Mimi and I would take him shopping today. But Mimi's not here yet and I have to work at my mom's flower shop. So I was wondering...would you mind taking him? Meems says you have a good fashion sense." She told him. Matt shrugged and smiled.  
  
"Sure why not? Don't have anything else to do today." He replied.  
  
"Great! Here's some money Mimi sent me. She sent it just in case she didn't get here on time." Sora explained as she shoved some yen into his hand. Meanwhile, Tai just stared at her, completely horrified.  
  
"Sora, can I talk to you for a second?" Tai said as he dragged her inside.  
  
"What's up with that? I can't go with Matt! Do you realize what will happen?" he ranted.  
  
"Chill out, Tai. It'll be fine. He's your only option right now anyway. And then Mimi and I will go with you when we can ok?" she compromised.  
  
"Fine." He groaned. They went back outside.  
  
"Ready to go?" Matt asked Tai.  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." He replied.  
  
"Ok then let's go. See ya later Sora." Matt said as he headed to the elevator. Tai waved and ran to catch up with his best friend. Sora watched until they were in the elevator and walked back inside, shutting the door.  
  
"Coast is clear." She said as she walked into her room. Suddenly, the closet opened and Mimi untangled herself from it.  
  
"Well?" she asked Sora. Sora just grinned and pointed out the window. Mimi looked down and smiled.  
  
"Step one completed!" they exclaimed at the same time.  
  
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Sorry that this chapter is totally pointless. But it makes you wonder doesn't it? What exactly are Mimi and Sora up to? Next chapter: Matt and Tai go shopping. Oh the chaos...=D. As for Tai's application, I misspelled some of the words on purpose because I wanted it to seem like a 15 year old boy actually wrote it. And Tai's so cute anyway so it shouldn't matter that he can't spell. As for the diplomat with two T's....he he. We ALL know what's on his mind. That's all folks! And remember people, lots of reviews help me get the next chapter posted. Bye! Ixi_Vulpix. 


	3. Abercrombie & Chaos

Hey everybody! Chapter three is now ready for takeoff! But before we do that, let's answer the reviews shall we?  
  
vialana: Yes the concept is appealing. Humorous Taitos are always good ones to read. And you're welcome for the details. Didn't you start the Limit to Friendship fic? I think so. It's really good.  
  
renaku: there's no way I'm NOT going to continue this. I love writing this.  
  
Shishi-Kokoro: you're ending The Sight? *pouts* I liked that one. Oh well, I can't ALWAYZ have what I want. And I'll write good stuff 4eva!  
  
Loner Fox: You're addicted too? Join the club. =D And thank Miyoumon for the interpretation of your "nutsness".  
  
nEo-cHaN: They are evil aren't they? Just like me. =D glad to know you love it.  
  
azoog: you'll find out what happens in no time. This fic will go up fast.  
  
Fell: plot ticker? Lol, cute. Tai MIGHT do something drastic...just not in this chapter. And you're welcome.  
  
Sillie: This is very fun....for you to read, and me to read your reviews! =D  
  
Hannio: Hugging Tai is a VERY good idea. *hugs Tai plushie* Thanx for the "good ideas" compliments. I like it when people like my ideas.  
  
Aero-Grrl: Thanks. Everyone thinks he has the appeal because he does! I'm thinking about writing a Taito after this one's done about him being a model or something. He would be a very hott model.  
  
redvind: It's fun to reply to people who take time to read my work. I appreciate it when they do. Yea, I agree. If Tai didn't have his hair like that, I wouldn't recognize him. Plus it makes him so cute! *big smile on MY face*  
  
CCPheonix: Thanx Pheonix. You don't hafta beg, the next chapters will be up soon! And thank Patamon for upping your dosage for me. But personally I like people who have overactive imaginations like myself. They create good stories likes yours.  
  
Emiru Yagami: Tai should be an A&F boy. He's sooooooooooooo adorable!!!! Which is why I wrote it into this chapter. It's nice that Mimi and Sora help out. After all, no one does it better then those two!  
  
All right, that's all for reviews. Thank you very much for those of you who are reading and reviewing this fic. What things happen in this chapter? What's next in Sora and Mimi's plan? All this and some more will be answered in the chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Matt's POV  
  
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~ !~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~  
  
Thursday, May 8th, 9 days until my birthday. Then I'll be the same age as Tai. Which is good because he's one of those people who like to gloat about being older, even if it was only by a few months. But he's dumb sometimes anyway, so it shouldn't matter to me. But everything about him matters. We walked towards the mall in silence, another thing that was bugging me. Tai never shuts up. We entered the mall and started to walk around.  
  
"Hey Tai, why are you shopping anyway?" I asked him. He blushed a bit and stared at the ground.  
  
"Well, Sora and I were down here last Saturday. And she saw something that she wanted me to do. So now I'm roped into doing it and she said that I need a new look." He explained, still keeping his head low.  
  
"What do you have to do?" I asked him. He blushed even more. What the hell is with him and blushing today?  
  
"I....She's making me enter a male model contest!" he burst out suddenly, his face resembling a tomato with brown hair. All I could do was stare at him. And laugh my ass off.  
  
***************************** Tai's POV **********************************  
  
Oh my god. I just told Matt about the male model contest and now he's just laughing at me. I've never felt so embarrassed in my life. Well, maybe that's because I'm doing it for him, but still!  
  
"YOU CAN STOP LAUGHING AT ANY TIME MATT!" I exclaimed. His laughter died down.  
  
"Sorry Tai. I just thought that was kind of interesting. When is it?" he asked me.  
  
"When's what?" I replied. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"The contest, nimrod." He said.  
  
"OH! It's on the 17th. Why?" I asked him. He stared at me for a bit, then shook his head.  
  
"Irony never fails to amaze me." He said.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked him. He looked over at me and smiled.  
  
"Tai, I'm one of the judges for the contest." He said. Time totally stopped. Wait....did he just say what I think he just said?  
  
"You...You're a judge?" I stammered a bit. He nodded his blonde head.  
  
"Yea. They needed someone to be a teenage judge. So they got lead singer of the Teenage Wolves to do it." He smirked a bit. (A/N: I don't know how old Matt was when the Teenage Wolves started, but let's pretend this is when they were only famous in town, not around the world or country.)  
  
"Um...wow. This is kinda weird." I said awkwardly. He shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Not really. I think you would make a good model." He said. I just stared at him and thought about that.  
  
****************************** Matt's POV ***********************************  
  
Oh man. Did I just tell him he'd make a good model? What the hell? It's not really a big deal, I mean, he would make a good model, but me actually telling him is a different story! I need to find something to distract me. Then I remembered why I was here in the first place.  
  
"Hey Tai, what kind of clothes are you looking for exactly?" I asked my non- enthusiastic friend. He shrugged and continued walking.  
  
"I really have no idea. Whatever looks good I guess." He replied.  
  
"What about here?" I pointed to a store. He looked in my direction and his eyes widened in shock.  
  
"WHAT? Matt, you aren't serious are you? I don't wanna be a prep!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Hey shut up. I shop here too, so you KNOW they will make you look good." I explained to him.  
  
"Get over yourself." He murmured as we entered Abercrombie and Fitch. (A/N: I personally don't have anything against A & F, but I'm gonna make Tai not like it. =D)  
  
"Oh relax, T. Come on." I said as I dragged him to the boys department. I started looking through the racks of clothes and randomly throwing stuff out.  
  
"Here, go try these on." I said shoving a pile of clothes into his hands. "And come back out here so I can see what you look like." I added.  
  
"Jeez, you're starting to sound like my mom." He said under his breath as he closed the door to the dressing room. I started looking around some more for anything that he would look good in. All right, so I was looking for something I would look good in. So sue me.  
  
"Matt?" I heard Tai say softly. I turned around and looked at him. I didn't say anything for a long time, too impressed by what I saw.  
  
"Wow. Tai, that looks really good on you." I finally said. And it did look nice. He had on a pair of blue jeans that appeared faded on the thigh to the knee and had a tiny flare. I'll admit, they flare looked kind of girly, but for some reason, it suited him perfectly. And then he had on an olive green tanktop with the words Abercrombie Soccer and a 10 in white letters. (A/N: if you can't imagine Tai's clothes, go to abercrombiekids.com and look for destroyed flares and a stoningwall soccer tee. Something like that.)  
  
"You think so?" he asked softly. He sounded so innocent and well...cute. Kind of shy. Which is strange because Tai is anything BUT shy.  
  
"Yea. Looks great. What about the khaki cargo pants?" I asked him.  
  
"They looked ok. How much money do we have?" he questioned. I counted the money Sora gave us and then added up the total cost for the shirt and the two pants.  
  
"We have enough to buy them and ice cream." I said, hinting to him what I wanted. He grinned and went back in to change. He came back out of the room and paid for the clothes. Then we walked out and down the mall.  
  
************************** Author's POV *********************************  
  
Tai and Matt headed down the main walkway, Tai carrying the bags and Matt with his hands in his pockets. They arrived at the food court and sat down.  
  
"So what do we want for food?" Tai asked.  
  
"Ice cream, duh. I've been sugar-deprived for a while." Matt replied as he rested his head on the table.  
  
"You ok? You're acting kinda out of it." Tai said worriedly. Matt nodded.  
  
"Yea, just kind of tired. Damn school work and dad's psycho schedule have kept me up for a while." He replied. Tai nodded in understandment.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a bit. Let me guess, rocky road ice cream?" he asked. Matt nodded.  
  
"Of course. What else would I have?" he smiled. Tai laughed and walked away from the table. He started walking to the Baskin-Robins stand when he suddenly crashed into someone.  
  
"Sorry." Tai apologized and started walking again. Only he didn't get very far.  
  
"Where exactly do you think you're going, Kamiya?" a low voice growled at him. Tai looked back and came face-to-face with Kei Hirotami. 'Crap. Just what I need, Kei and his shit.' Tai thought to himself.  
  
"What do you want Kei?" Tai growled back. Tai didn't like Kei very much. And Kei despised Tai. All because of soccer. Both of them tried out for the team, and Tai got the last spot, bumping Kei off the rank. Kei got pissed and now took every opportunity to pick a fight with him. And that wasn't good in Tai's case because Kei was way bigger then him. He outweighed Tai by about 40 pounds, and was a good 6 inches taller. He also had lots of muscles that looked like they hurt. Of course, Tai would never want to find out.  
  
"I wanna kick your ass. You should know that by now." Kei answered as he slowly approached Tai.  
  
"You've tried once, you've tried many times. And you failed. Just give up and get over it." Tai replied as he backed away slower. Kei advanced upon him. His black and blue hair fell into his face, causing his red eyes to stand out even more. (A/N: and just in case there is anyone out there who might get the idea, this Kei has no reference to the Kai from BeyBlade. Very different person.) He had finally backed Tai into a corner, blocking the way out.  
  
"Well well well. Looks like you're caught. No pretty boy to rescue you this time." Kei snarled. Tai's eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape route. Suddenly, Kei threw a punch.  
  
"Tai look out!" a voice shouted from behind him. Tai looked up and saw Kei's fist flying at him. He grabbed it before it made contact and twisted. Kei yelped in pain and used the other fist to punch Tai in the face. Tai stumbled back a bit, releasing Kei's fist. 'This is gonna hurt.' Tai thought to himself. Kei had him cornered again.  
  
"It's lights out, Kamiya." Kei hissed as he stepped in front of Tai's face. Tai punched him in the nose. This distracted him for a bit. Then he recovered and grabbed both of Tai's wrists. He smiled evilly and bit his wrist. Tai cried out in pain and rage. He swiftly brought his knee up and made contact. Kei howled in pain and fell to the floor. Tai took this opportunity and ran as fast as he could to Matt. He grabbed his bags and Matt's arm and started running again.  
  
"Tai, what are you doing?" Matt yelled over the noise as he struggled to keep up with his companion.  
  
"Just keep running!" Tai replied.  
  
"What did you do?" Matt asked as he got his arm away from Tai.  
  
"Kei. Started a fight." Tai said as he continued to run.  
  
"That explains what happened to your eye." Matt replied.  
  
"Yea. He grabbed my wrists and bit it. So I kicked him in the nuts. And now...." Tai was interrupted.  
  
"HEY! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE, KAMIYA!" Kei shouted as he came into view.  
  
"Shit!" Tai exclaimed as he ran faster.  
  
"Tai! I can't believe you! We are so screwed!" Matt yelled at him.  
  
"Well, it can't get worse." Tai replied. Suddenly they heard sirens.  
  
"HEY! NO RUNNING! GET BACK HERE!" a security guard spotted them. Matt glared at Tai. Tai shrugged and ran faster. The two of them ran out the mall and down the street. Tai glanced over his shoulder and saw that Kei was still following them.  
  
"Matt! Hurry up!" Tai hollered behind him. Matt groaned and ran after him. They ran all the way to Tai and Sora's apartment complex and ran up to Sora's apartment. The door was unlocked and they ran inside. They finally stopped running and collapsed on the couch.  
  
"I am NEVER EVER going shopping with you again." Matt stated as he panted.  
  
"How was I suppose to know he would be around?" Tai whined.  
  
"Hey guys. Back so soon?" Sora said as she walked into the room.  
  
"Yea, seeing as how Tai almost got us killed!" Matt shouted.  
  
"Quit exaggerating." Tai snapped. He felt his eye and winced.  
  
"Tai, what happened to your eye?" Sora said as she walked over to him.  
  
"Kei was at the mall and he punched me." He explained to her.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Yea, I'll be fine." He replied with his hand still covering his eye.  
  
"Let me see." She said as she gently removed his hand. His eye was a nice shade of blue, black, and purple.  
  
"Better put some ice on it to make the swelling die down." She said. "I'll go get you some." She told him as she started to get up.  
  
"Already ahead of you, Sora." A new voice said. Mimi walked over to them.  
  
"Here Tai." She said, handing him the ice bag.  
  
"Thanks Mimi. When did you get in?" Tai asked as he placed the bag on the bruise.  
  
"Not very long ago. Hey Matt." She greeted her friend.  
  
"Hey Meems. Long time no see." Matt said.  
  
"Anyway, what exactly happened?" Mimi asked them as she and Sora sat down.  
  
"Well, we went to the food court and I went to go buy something to eat. I left Matt at the table and headed to Baskin-Robins. Then I bump into Kei and he goes crazy. Backs me into a corner and punches me. I block the first one, punches my eye with the other one. I punch him in the nose, he grabs both wrists. He bites one of them, I kick him in the nuts. Then I ran back to Matt." Tai explained.  
  
"Then he starts running from Kei, who started chasing us. Then security started chasing us for running to begin with. We run out of the mall and run down the street. Kei's still chasing us. We run up here and here we are now." Matt finished.  
  
"Yikes. Sounds like you guys had quite a day." Sora commented.  
  
"Hell yea." They said simultaneously.  
  
"Did you at least get some shopping done?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Yea. Matt dragged me into A&F." Tai groaned. He showed them the shirt and pants.  
  
"Awesome. They look good." Sora said. Mimi nodded in agreement. Matt stretched and stood up.  
  
"I better get going guys. I told my mom I'd pick up TK from practice today. See ya later." He said as he headed towards the door. They exchanged good-byes and Matt left.  
  
"Did you enjoy today, Tai?" Sora asked. Tai shrugged.  
  
"You mean before or after the Kei run-in?" he asked.  
  
"Before." She answered laughing.  
  
"Yea I guess. But there's a problem." He said.  
  
"What problem?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Matt's a judge for the contest." Tai said. Mimi and Sora exchanged glances.  
  
"Really? That's kind of cool." Mimi said.  
  
"NO! Not cool! That's not a good thing." Tai exclaimed.  
  
"Tai. If Matt's a judge, you'll get his attention even more. Calm down. I thought that's what you wanted." Sora reminded him.  
  
"Maybe. He said I would make a good model." Tai replied. Sora smiled.  
  
"See? Sounds like it's working." She said. Tai shrugged and stood up.  
  
"Who knows. I'm gonna go home and figure out how to explain my eye to my mom. See ya later." Tai said.  
  
"Bye Tai." The girls called after him. They heard the door shut and sat on the couch.  
  
"That's step 2 completed." Sora said as she turned on the TV.  
  
"How many steps do you have?" Mimi asked her.  
  
"5 for right now. Step 5 being they are together." She explained. Mimi sat quiet for a while thinking about what Sora said. Finally she spoke again.  
  
"You knew Matt was a judge didn't you?" she asked. Sora smiled.  
  
"Maybe." She replied slyly. They both started to laugh. They sat watching TV for a while when Mimi spoke again.  
  
"What do we do now?" She asked.  
  
"Step three." Sora simply replied.  
  
"What's step three?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Wait until tomorrow. Then you shall see." She said. Mimi just stared at her and pondered over step three.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
That's all folks! Sorry if it seemed kind of rushed and boring. I'm suppose to be writing my dumb English final (curse you Romeo and Juliet) but I had to get the chapter out. So it might seem weird since I wrote it all today. Trust me, the next chapter will be MUCH better. Please review though so I can write it. See, my computer only runs on review fuel, so I need reviews in order to type it.  
  
Ryamon: Don't you mean that YOU need review fuel to write it?  
  
Ok fine. So I feel unsure of my writing if no one reviews. So sue me!  
  
Ryamon: For what? You don't have anything!  
  
Oh shut up Ryamon. See y'all later! Ixi_Vulpix. 


	4. Model Behavior For Dummies

Wow, whadaya know..8 pages long.  
  
Ryamon: wow. That's a lot for just a bunch of nonsense babbling.  
  
Oh shut up Ryamon. You know nothing!  
  
Ryamon: Yea I do. I know that you like *clamps hand over Ryamon's mouth*  
  
Ignore her. Please. Anywayz, like alwayz in this story, answer to the reviews.  
  
Emiru Yagami: Hey, hyper is a good thing. Just ask Ryamon, she sees me hyper all the time. As for the whole choosing outfits for the digi- boys...yea..that is a bit strange. But I bet they would look hott if they were real. Heck, they look hott even as cartoons! I'd be a happy author if this story goes on your favorite list. And plushies are always fun. Make me a Tai one please!  
  
vialana: You're welcome on the first part. And thanks on the second part. I just had to throw something in there to make things interesting. Plus..well...I kinda had it planned that he'd be a judge. In this chapter, you find out about step 3.  
  
nEo-cHaN: Thanx n-chan. Glad to know you still think it's good. And I need all the review fuel I can get. Aren't those clothes perfect for Tai?  
  
Aero-Grrl: Yes, Tai is too hott for his own good isn't he? No one can't not love him. He's too hott!  
  
Loner Fox: Yes, Miyoumon, you are in the review answer. You're in this one too. And I know Kei sounds mean. But we can't help it. At least he didn't do TOO much damage to Tai's perfect face.  
  
Sillie: Yes Sora is evil for not telling him about Matt...but that's the fun part! =D. His eye shall be healed by the contest. Why you may ask? Because he's too hott to have a black eye.  
  
Angel Chick: glad you like it.  
  
CCPheonix: Sounds like you were in a good mood when you reviewed this. Lol. But yea, I'm glad people think it's interesting. As for Kei...if I didn't need him for the story, I'd kill him myself. How dare he hurt Tai?  
  
Ryamon: Um...IV? You made him do that.  
  
Oh yea. Oops. BAD ME! Heh, go figure. Matt's gonna notice him all right. *cheesy grin* And don't kill Patamon. He's a cool muse. Unlike the one I have here.  
  
Ryamon: you talking about me?  
  
Yes I am. Now shut up and go play with Saryamon. (My other muse)  
  
redvind: he he....maybe they will, maybe they won't. You don't know what Kei is capable of. Ok then people, that's all for reviews. This is chapter 4 standing by. Rolling in 5..4...3...2..1.  
  
Ryamon and Saryamon: ACTION!  
  
Mimi's POV  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Sora is a liar. I'm not mad at her or anything, but I am a bit pissed. She told me that I'd find out about step three the day after step two was completed. That would have made it Friday, May 9th. Today is Tuesday, May 13. Yea, that's a LITTLE bit late isn't it? It's been about 5 days since we found out that Matt was a judge for the modeling contest. We (as in me and Sora) have taken Tai shopping a few more times since that day. He makes such a good male Barbie doll. It's fun for me to go and choose stuff to dress him in. It's also fun to watch Sora restrain him from running away. And since daddy gave me his credit card, the fun never stops. Although Tai isn't exactly as thrilled as we are. Speaking of Tai............  
  
"Hey Sora, what time was Tai coming over?" I called into the next room where my best friend was.  
  
"He'll be over in about 10 minutes." She replied as she appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Why's he coming over anyway?" I asked.  
  
"Because we're going to put step three into action today." She said as she strolled over to the couch and flopped down on it.  
  
"That's what you said 5 days ago." I rolled my eyes and joined her.  
  
"I know but I'm actually sure this time. We don't have that much time." She said.  
  
"Well duh! The contest is this Saturday. So what's step three?" I questioned her.  
  
"You'll know when I put it into play." She said with a smirk.  
  
"No. Just tell me please?" I pleaded. She shook her head.  
  
"You'll figure it out on your own when I'm ready." She replied. I stuck my tongue out at her. She rolled her eyes at me.  
  
"C'mon Meems, that's so 2nd grade." She said.  
  
"Whatever." I replied and went into her room to change. For the time that I'm in Japan, I'm living with Sora. It's really kinda great because I haven't seen her for forever, but there are other times where she makes me mad. Like now for instance. Suddenly the doorbell rang. I walked out of our room and out to the front hall where Sora was opening the door.  
  
"Hey Tai." Sora greeted the wild-haired boy as he stepped inside.  
  
"Hey Sora, hey Mimi. What's goin' on?" he asked as we all walked into the living room.  
  
"Nothing much. What about you?" Sora answered for both of us.  
  
"Pretty much the same, but that's not what I meant. I really meant what's going on? I know both of you too well to think otherwise." He said cautiously.  
  
"Tai. Why can't you just trust us?" Sora pouted while giving him the puppy- dog look.  
  
"Because I know what you guys are capable of." Tai answered carefully.  
  
"And....?" Sora trailed off.  
  
"And, it scares me." He said flatly.  
  
"All right T, you caught us. We are actually going to do something today." Sora said. I sent her a confused look. She sent back her own, 'Chill out and just play along' look.  
  
"Oh? And what do you plan on doing to me today?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, you're going to be a model." Sora stated. I'm just going to stay quiet and stay on the couch where it's safe.  
  
"Um..duh. And what's your point?" Tai asked as he sat down next to me. He looked at me puzzled. I shrugged.  
  
"My point is, if you're going to be a model, you're going to have to act like one." She explained.  
  
"How do we do that, smart one?" he asked her. She smiled a rather cheesy smile and pointed to me.  
  
"Mimi's gonna teach you everything you need to know." She said with the same cheesy smile on her face. Honestly, can she just get rid of the cheesy smile????  
  
"What would she know?" Tai asked, turning his focus to me. He's so cute when he's clueless. Too bad he's into Matt and too bad that I agree with the idea of him and Matt as a couple.  
  
"Tai you are so stupid sometimes you know that?" I asked him.  
  
"About time you joined this conversation." He skipped over my question.  
  
"Yea, sure, whatever. But what Sora means is that I can train you for the contest." I replied.  
  
"What makes you think that Meems?" he asked me. I sweatdropped and pulled a magazine out of my backpack that was on the floor next to me. I turned to the right page and shoved it into Tai's hand. He looked it over and widened his eyes.  
  
"Dude...this girl looks just like you Mimi." Tai said in amazement. Again, another sweatdrop.  
  
"Tai..." I said slowly.  
  
"Mimi..." He said just as slow. I REALLY hate to do this to him but.....  
  
"TAI YOU IDIOT THAT IS ME!!!" I exploded. He just stared at me, then at the picture, then back at me.  
  
"That can't be you Meems, she's too pre-" he started to say before Sora clapped her hand over his mouth.  
  
"What Tai means is that the camera and make-up make you so pretty that he doesn't recognize you. Isn't that right, Tai?" She calmly explained before shooting a look of pure venom towards Tai, who happened to be in a position where Sora had his arm twisted all the way on the other side of his body and her other hand still over his mouth. (A/N: If someone does this just right, it REALLY hurts. And yes I do know personally. Let's just say my best friend and I play rough). He nodded meekly and looked at Sora. She released him and he sighed in relief.  
  
"Ok, I get it now. So you can teach me what to do in the contest?" Tai asked hopefully. I nodded and smiled.  
  
"You betcha! It's really easy once you get the hang of it." I told him. He got off the couch and pulled me up.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" he said enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes and grinned.  
  
******************************** In Sora's Room *******************************  
  
"Ok, Tai. The first thing about modeling is the posture." I told him.  
  
"What do you mean by posture?" he asked.  
  
"Stand up." I instructed him. He obeyed.  
  
"Now walk to Sora." I said. Once again he obeyed. He started to walk but it didn't seem right.  
  
"STOP! Tai, you so are not doing it right." I said as I walked over to him.  
  
"How do you not walk right?" he asked puzzled.  
  
"Simple. You for one are doing it wrong. Watch." I said to him. I turned around and started to walk.  
  
"Ok wait a sec Meems. You're walking exactly like I was." He said suddenly.  
  
"WRONG! See, I'm walking like a model." I stated, slowly walking around him in a circle. "You on the other hand, are walking like a jock. That needs to stop right here and now." I said sternly. He just shrugged.  
  
"Well...I am a jock. What do you expect of me?" he said. I shook my head.  
  
"You may be a jock, but for this weekend, you're a model. AND I WILL MAKE YOU BE THE BEST DAMN MALE MODEL THERE IS!" I shouted. Sora sweatdropped from her corner of the room.  
  
"Um..ok. So what do I do then?" Tai asked me warily.  
  
"When you walk like a jock, you slouch over and walked like your feet weigh 100 pounds each. When you walk like a model, you need to stand tall and walk lightly." I said demonstrating.  
  
"How do I walk lightly?" he asked, even more confused then before. I laughed at him inwardly. 'Yama is gonna have a blast watching Tai on Saturday.' I thought to myself.  
  
"Well, basically, you walk on your toes." I showed him again. "Now you try it." I said to him. He started walking but soon fell on his butt. This time I laughed aloud.  
  
"Tai, let me rephrase that." I said in between laughs as I helped him to his feet. "Walk on the balls of your feet." I said.  
  
"Um..where's that?" he asked me. I pointed to the spot and demonstrated again. He tried once more and succeeded.  
  
"Very good, Tai!" I exclaimed and flashed him a smile. He grinned back and walked back over to me.  
  
"Now what?" he asked me.  
  
"We also need to work on your turns." I said to him.  
  
"What turns?" he asked. Once again, I demonstrated. I sashayed forward, turned and sashayed back.  
  
"Those turns, my friend. You can't just turn like you would in soccer." I explained to him.  
  
"So...you're basically saying that there are special turns for modeling?" he said puzzled. I nodded. He sighed and shook his head.  
  
"What do I have to do?" he sighed in defeat.  
  
"Well, to turn in a model contest or a show, either one....actually, they're the same thing but in the modeling world a contest you win stuff but a show is.."  
  
"Mimi, will you just get to the point please?" Tai cut me off.  
  
"Sorry. Well, when you're modeling, you walk down a runway. Then you pose and stuff. Then you have to go back down the runway. When you do a walk that doesn't stop and show off, you need to turn on the ball of your foot to turn yourself around gracefully. Like so." I said as I showed him again. He watched me closely.  
  
"Ok hotshot. You give it a try." I said to him. He walked towards Sora's bed and turned. Only he turned a little too fast and spun around 3 times before landing on the bed. He sat up with a dazed look on his face.  
  
"You know, I'm beginning to think modeling isn't my thing." He said as he got off the bed.  
  
"Don't give up yet Tai. Trust me it's easy when you get the hang of it. Now try again." I told him.  
  
"But Mimi I,"  
  
"TRY AGAIN!" I cut him off. He nodded quickly and started to walk again. He reached the end of the room and turned. He walked back towards me, turned and headed the opposite direction.  
  
"Tai, that's it! You got it now." I said happily as he walked back to me.  
  
"Cool. So, are we done yet?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Nope. We have one more thing to do." I told him.  
  
"And what might that be Ms. Tachikawa?" he asked politely. I stuck my tongue out at him.  
  
"Honestly Meems, that's definitely 2nd grade." He said with a smirk.  
  
"Oh shut up. Anyway, the last thing we're going to do is work on your poses." I said.  
  
"My whats?" he asked me.  
  
"Your poses. How you position yourself for the judges. Or more like, how you position yourself for Matt." I said to him.  
  
"Well, first he puts Matt on the bed. Then he sits on top of him. And then he..." Sora started to say. Tai glared at her and I started to laugh. Who knew that Sora would say something like that? Well, who knew besides me, that is.  
  
"Well, we'll work on THOSE poses afterwards." I said slyly. Poor Tai started blushing.  
  
"SHUT UP YOU GUYS!" he yelled suddenly. Sora and I just laughed at him.  
  
"Anyway, when you're not turning around after you walk, you will have to pose to exhibit your physique." I explained to him. He just gave me a blank look.  
  
"She means you have to put yourself in different positions to show off your body." Sora interpreted for him. He nodded.  
  
"Ok. So, got any ideas?" he asked. I walked over to him and started positioning him in different ways. I can't concentrate when he's dressed like this.  
  
"Tai, go get changed. I can't work under these conditions." I told him. He just nodded, took his bag and walked into the bathroom. I took the opportunity to talk to Sora.  
  
"Sora, what the hell is up?" I asked her. She just shrugged.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Mimi's gonna teach you everything you need to know." I mimicked her.  
  
"Oh that." She said. I nodded.  
  
"Yea....mind explaining please?" I asked her, feeling a bit frustrated with her.  
  
"This is step three." She said simply.  
  
"So...step one was get them to interact. Step two was to tell him Matt was a judge and buy him a new look. So what exactly is step three called?" I asked her.  
  
"It's called, turn Tai into the perfect model." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"All right, so what's step four and five?" I asked her. She started to answer, but then the phone rang. She got up and walked out the door to answer it. At the same time, Tai walked back in.  
  
"Ok, is this better for you?" he asked me. He was wearing the khaki cargo pants and the soccer tanktop. I nodded.  
  
"Much better." I said as I went back to work positioning him.  
  
"Mimi, am I like a Barbie for you or something?" he asked me. I nodded.  
  
"Yup you are actually. I loved playing with dolls as a little girl because I could dress them up and put on my own model shows." I told him. He just smiled.  
  
"True, but you don't have to dress me. I prefer to do that myself." He said jokingly. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"And unlike you, my dolls didn't talk back to me." I said. He laughed at me. We were quiet for a while, with me just putting him into different poses.  
  
"Tai? Can I ask you a question?" I asked him.  
  
"Sure go ahead." He said as he turned around for me.  
  
"If you weren't in love with Matt, would you still be doing this contest?"  
  
"Probably not." He replied with a shrug.  
  
"So why are you? I mean, I know it's because of Matt and all, but why a modeling contest?" I asked him. "I mean, you're right. I always thought you'd be a great model, but I never thought you would actually do it."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't. But a couple of weeks ago, Matt said something that I didn't exactly like." He explained.  
  
"What did he say?" I asked as I turned him sideways.  
  
"He said that I probably couldn't do anything that wasn't sport-oriented. Like, that I could only be a jock or be nothing. And that actually...well...sort of hurt. I can do other things besides sports." He defended himself.  
  
"I'm sure he was just kidding though." I said quickly. He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"I know he was, but still. It just burned me. I'm doing this not only to get his attention, but also to prove him wrong." He said determinedly.  
  
"And also because Sora said to right?" I said playfully. He glanced at me. His eyes were serious, not playful like usual.  
  
"No. I'm not doing this for Sora anymore. I'm doing this for myself." He said calmly. I nodded slowly and let go of his arms.  
  
"Well, that's about all I can do to help you, T. Just pick out poses you feel comfortable using and go for it." I said half-heartedly. He nodded and picked up his bag. He started to walk out but then he suddenly turned around and hugged me.  
  
"Thanks for everything Meems." He whispered into my ear.  
  
"No problem. I don't think I'll be seeing you until Saturday. So take it easy." I said as I pulled away. He nodded his head and looked at me. I looked into his eyes and saw everything he was thinking. They were filled with excitement, worry, fear, confusion, anxiety, anxiousness, and determination. That was the Tai I knew. He gave me one last smile and left the room. I heard him say goodbye to Sora and then walk out the front door. Sora then came back into the room. She looked at me and then sat next to me on the bed.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she asked me. I then explained everything that Tai had just told me. She just stared at me for a bit before saying anything.  
  
"Wow...that's so..like, after-school special-ish." She said. (A/N: I've always wanted to say that. XD)  
  
"Yea it is kind of. It's so...sweet I guess you could say. That he would do that just for Matt and to prove himself." I said. Sora nodded.  
  
"Yea but it's no big surprise." She said to me.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Tai's always trying to impress Matt. He once said that he sometimes feels unworthy of Matt's friendship." She said.  
  
"Aww...that's so...wait. How do you know that? I don't think that's something he would just come right out and tell you."  
  
"Let's just say that he talks in his sleep when he's troubled about something. And the something is always Matt." I nodded and closed my eyes for a bit.  
  
"You never did say what steps four and five are." I reminded her.  
  
"Well, step four is Tai wins the contest. And step five is they get together." She said simply. I nodded slowly and thought that through.  
  
"But what if Tai doesn't win?" I asked her. Sora laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous Meems. Tai'll win hands down even if it kills him." She assured me. I just nodded and agreed with her. But I still have a strange feeling that things aren't going to go according to plan.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** And that is the end of chapter four! Which means that the next chapter is..Ta Da! The contest! Again, this is an odd chapter.  
  
Ryamon: her attempt at humor.  
  
Yea that's true. I dunno, I just think it's be funny to watch Tai try to be a model. He's so cute and clueless you just wanna hug him.  
  
Tai: Hey now, only certain people can hug me.  
  
Am I one of them?  
  
Tai: maybe.....  
  
Cool! *hugs Tai like there's no tomorrow*  
  
Ryamon: oh boy. Please review! More reviews mean the faster the contest chapter gets posted.  
  
Yup, right again Ryamon. Hope you enjoyed this people. I wrote it all in one sitting, so now my finger is numb. But who cares? It's posted! HAHA!  
  
Ryamon: And yes I will up her dosage.  
  
Oh shut up Ryamon. Bye people! 


	5. Competing in More Ways Then One

Hey everyone, I'm so back! I really need to update more often, the contest is almost over. But hey, what can I say? My mom runs an online business and my dad loves playing spider solitaire. My computer time is about 2 hours in the afternoon and whatever hours at night until 12 AM. It bites. But enough about me, let's talk about you wonderful reviewers.  
  
vialana: Mimi is so cool. And the contest was going to be this chapter, but...well, just read it to find out what happened. And yes, I adore plot complications as well.  
  
Fell: meep? Lol. Cute. Thanx, I don't think I've had anyone say that this is wonderful before. THANKIES!  
  
Loner Fox: Miyoumon, I'm not sure if you are more sane or not. But I doubt you could write as well. And I plan on continuing. =D I've always wanted to say that line.  
  
Aero-Grrl: Clueless Tai I so adorable, isn't he? Newly found huh? Some how I highly doubt that. Lol, but that's ok, join the club.  
  
Sillie: You'll have to ask Tai if you can hug him, but I'm not real willing to share...just kidding. You don't have to wait for very long because the next chapter is here!  
  
nEo-cHaN: Glad you luv this story. And yes, Tai is such a cutie!  
  
CCPheonix: Thanx Patamon, I wish my own muse appreciated me as much as you do.  
  
Ryamon: Shut up IV. I appreciate you.  
  
You do?  
  
Ryamon: Yea, you feed me.  
  
*sweatdrops* whatever. Anyway, it's ok to be sappy. Creates good fluff stories! And does Patamon even have knees? And the next chapter is up and ready to go!  
  
Shishi-Kokoro: I just thought Mimi would be the perfect one to teach his the right stuff. And I will keep on writing. I wish I could go to Germany. And thanks for putting me on your Favorite's list! =D  
  
madkornfan: I've never seen you around before, but thanks for reviewing! And here's more right now!  
  
Angel Chick: Tai is HOTT!!!!!!!! I'm obsessed a bit too, so it's all good.  
  
Hannio: I would LOVE some more kawaii clueless Tai. And hugging Tai is always fun too. Sorry though, the competition is a bit pushed back. BUT PLEASE READ ANYWAY!  
  
Ok, I think that's everyone. Again, thanks y'all! And here we go, chapter 5.  
  
Ryamon: It's time to duel!  
  
o_0. O...k? Wrong anime Rya. Forgive her, while I'm typing this, we're watching Yu-Gi-Oh! Anyway, read on and forward!  
  
Tai's POV  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Saturday, May 17th. The big day of the contest. Holy crap, this is not a good thing. I mean, it's not like I'm nervous or anything, but I mean, this is a big deal. Matt's a judge.....I'm a contestant...I'm totally cool with this. AW MAN, WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING?  
  
"Sora, help me!" I whined as I crashed on her couch. She rolled her eyes and stood over me.  
  
"Tai, what are you doing here? You have to be dressed and down there in a hour." She sighed as she pulled my face out of her couch by my hair.  
  
"OWIE! Don't pull on the hair." I complained as I sat up.  
  
"Whatever. Why are you here? You can't be here because you need to be there damn it!" she lashed out.  
  
"Sora, I really don't need you and your bitching right now while I'm on the verge of a total breakdown!" I exclaimed. She stopped moving and looked at me.  
  
"What's up with you?" she asked as she plopped down next to me.  
  
"I can't do this. I absolutely CANNOT go through with this. PLEASE TELL ME I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" I whined even more.  
  
"Tai, shut up and stop whining. It's annoying." She said. I glared at her and waited for her answer. She started to walk back to her room.  
  
"Oh and Tai?" she called over her shoulder. I looked at her to show I was listening.  
  
"You still have to do the contest whether you like it or not." She said with a smile and headed inside her bedroom, with me quickly following behind her.  
  
"Why? I can't do this." I said again. She shrugged her shoulders and started rummaging through her vanity.  
  
"Don't tell me you're chickening out Kamiya. I thought you were braver then that?" she mocked me.  
  
"I don't know, I mean....hmm." I really didn't know how to explain everything to her. Sure she was my best friend, but I really don't think she would understand what I was thinking right now. Hell, I don't even understand what I'm thinking. And that's downright scary.  
  
"Are you ready to go?" Sora said suddenly, bringing me out of my thoughts. While I was trying to sort out everything in my brain, she had been packing stuff into her backpack.  
  
"Where we going?" I asked her as I followed her out of her room. She turned around and hit me upside the head.  
  
"Tai no Baka. We have to be at the mall in an hour for the contest. Do you ever listen to anything I say?" she said as we walked down the street. She continued talking and ranting about me not listening to her. I listen to her. And it all sounds like blah blah blah.  
  
"Tai are you even paying attention to what I'm telling you?" She said, and it didn't sound like blah.  
  
"Sorry Sora, what'd you say?" I asked her sheepishly. Ok, so maybe I wasn't listening at the moment.  
  
"YOU ARE SO CLUELESS YOU KNOW THAT TAI? YOU NEED TO LEARN TO LISTEN!" Sora exclaimed exasperated.  
  
"Sorry. I just happen to have a ton of things on my mind right now." I said as we continued to walk.  
  
"Like what?" she asked, wanting an explanation.  
  
"Never mind. You wouldn't understand." I said quietly. She just nodded and shrugged it off.  
  
"Then I take it that it has something to do with Matt." She smirked a bit. Damn her for being right. Damn me for being so easy to read. DAMN HORMONES FOR MAKING ME BLUSH!  
  
"Maybe, I dunno." I mumbled back. She seemed satisfied with that answer and dropped the subject.  
  
"Anyway, what I was saying is that we need to get there now so Meems and I can get you ready." She said to me.  
  
"Where is Mimi anyway? I didn't see her at your house." I asked as realization dawned on me.  
  
"Oh, she went shopping earlier. Evidently Daddy's charge card wasn't maxed out yet." She explained. I laughed a bit; after all, it was typical Mimi behavior.  
  
"Where are my clothes?" I asked her.  
  
"You don't have them?" she said skeptically. I shook my head. More panic overswept me.  
  
"I left them at your house. I don't have them. I thought you did!" I exclaimed. My anxiety level continued to increase.  
  
"Nope. I don't have them." She said almost happily. I started freaking out even more.  
  
"SORA WHAT THE HECK AM I GONNA DO? I NEED MY CLOTHES FOR THE CONTEST!" I shouted. She remained calm and continued walking.  
  
"How can you stay calm?" I asked her, frustrated.  
  
"Tai, just because I don't HAVE your clothes doesn't mean that I don't know where they are." She said calmly.  
  
"Well, then where are they?" I asked just as calmly.  
  
"Mimi took them with her this morning. She said that she would meet us there." She said. I stopped moving and turned to face her. I grabbed her by the shoulders and vigorously shook the living hell out of her.  
  
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" I shouted at the top of my lungs. She broke free of my grip and started walking again.  
  
"Because it's fun to watch you over-react. Makes you cute." She commented with a wink. I ran to catch up with her.  
  
"That's not EVEN funny, Sora Takenouchi. You know I'm really stressed about this whole thing." I said harshly as I hit her on the arm.  
  
"What is there to be stressing about?" she asked as we walked inside the mall.  
  
"Well, for starters, what if this plans doesn't work and I make an idiot of myself and lose the contest?" I asked. She shook her head and sighed.  
  
"Tai, we've been over this so many times already. You'll do just fine, all right? Mimi trained you well, your best friend is a judge, and we will make you look fabulous." She said with a fake British accent.  
  
"You think so huh?" I smirked at her as she walked into the store where the contest would be held.  
  
"Oh, I know so darling." She said with the same fake accent. I just rolled my eyes and followed her inside.  
  
****************************** Normal POV ***********************************  
  
As Tai and Sora entered Abercrombie and Fitch, they were greeted by a large crowd. (A/N: So sue me, the contest is sponsored and held by A&F.) They pushed past many people, searching for Mimi.  
  
"Where do you think she is?" Tai asked as they ran into more people.  
  
"How should I know? There's WAY too many people out here." Sora signed in frustration as she pushed past a large man.  
  
"I don't know. But we need to find her no- OUCH!" Tai interrupted himself as someone stepped on his foot. He looked up for the culprit and looked right into the face of Kei.  
  
"Oops, sorry Kamiya. Didn't see ya there, since you're so short." Kei said with a nasty smirk. Tai growled at him, causing Sora to turn around.  
  
"What are you doing here, Kei?" Tai hissed.  
  
"Like that's any of YOUR business lamebrain. I should be asking you the same question." He replied.  
  
"Oh shove it and get lost." Tai said as he started to walk away. Kei grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Tai yelped in pain and stopped moving.  
  
"No. I wanna deal with you right now for that stunt you pulled here last week." Kei said murderously. Tai whimpered and continued to struggle. He glanced over his shoulder to look for Sora, only to find that she wasn't there. Kei in the meantime took the opportunity to squeeze his wrist harder.  
  
"OW! LET GO YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Tai yelled at the top of his lungs. However, it was too loud inside the building for him to be heard. Kei shot him another nasty look.  
  
"Face it Kamiya. You can't do anything about it. No one can hear you scream." He said as he bit his neck.  
  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" a loud voice startled Kei. He looked behind him and then suddenly took off, leaving Tai behind. A security guard walked up to Tai, with Sora closely behind him.  
  
"You all right kid?" he asked. Tai just nodded and stood up.  
  
"Just fine sir." He replied. The guard nodded and walked away. Sora took his spot and took Tai into her arms.  
  
"Tai are you ok?" she asked him.  
  
"Yea, I'm ok." He said in a wavery voice, looking as though he would burst into tears at any given moment. And he did. His wrist hurt and all the stress about the contest was too much for him.  
  
"Sora! Tai! Over here!" a new voice called out to them. Sora looked up and saw Mimi standing on a chair and doing cheerleader moves to get their attention. She smiled at her and then guided a still shaken up Tai towards her. Mimi hopped off of her chair and grinned.  
  
"Hey guys!" she said in a cheerful voice. Then she looked at Tai.  
  
"Tai, what's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone. Tai didn't answer, just continued to let tears run down his face and hold his wrist.  
  
"Kei's here." Sora explained as she examined Tai's wrist.  
  
"What happened?" she asked as she placed Tai on the couch backstage.  
  
"He first stepped on my foot. Then he said he was gonna deal with me about what happened last week. I tried to leave, but he grabbed my wrist and hurt it. Then he bit my neck." Tai answered in a somewhat broken voice. Mimi frowned.  
  
"Stupid inconsiderate son of a-"  
  
"Mimi! Calm down, he's gone now." Sora said, trying to get her friend to calm down.  
  
"I don't care! What gives him the right to pick on Tai?" she asked furiously. She opened the ice chest and made an ice bag for Tai's wrist.  
  
"Something about soccer." Tai answered as he placed the bag on his wrist.  
  
"That's just REALLY messed up." Mimi said while shaking her head. She started to busy herself with some small task at the desk, while Sora opened her backpack and searched through its contents.  
  
"There must be something else that causes him to beat up on you." Mimi murmured thoughtfully. It was quiet for a while after that.  
  
"Mimi, where'd you get such a spacious place like this?" Tai asked as his tears subsided.  
  
"What? Oh you mean this dressing room? Well, I managed to pull a few strings when I got here." She said once again cheerfully.  
  
"How so?" he inquired as he removed the ice from his wrist.  
  
"Well, besides the judges here, there are some other judges. Model scouts." She explained to him.  
  
"What are they? Or rather, who are they?" he asked as he stood up.  
  
"Model scouts are like talent scouts. They go to these kinds of things and look for people with model potential. They decided to come and scout out models from this contest. Let's just say that they're good friends of mine." Mimi answered slyly. Tai chuckled lightly and leaned over her shoulder.  
  
"Whatcha writing?" he asked her. She quickly covered it up and shoved it in her pocket.  
  
"It's nothing important." She replied, glancing at her watch. Her eyes widened and she shot out of her chair.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Tai we need to get you ready. We only have half an hour left!" she said as she hurried over to the closet and started throwing out Tai's clothes.  
  
"Go get dressed. We'll be waiting for you in here." She said as she pushed him out into the hallway. Tai just shook his head and walked towards the boys bathroom.  
  
***************************** Tai's POV ****************************  
  
Mimi can be such a ditz sometimes I swear. But she's a good friend so I don't mind that much. Maybe she's right though. There must be another reason why Kei is such an ass. I mean, the whole soccer thing was quite a while ago. And who would hold a grudge over a soccer try-out? It's plain stupid really. But that's just my opinion. I continued to ponder over what the heck I did as I walked into the bathroom and started to change. I looked up and then suddenly came out of my trance and realized something.  
  
"Why is it so empty in here?" I asked myself as I pulled my shirt over my head.  
  
"It may not be as empty as you think it is." A low voice came from the back corner. I whirled around and looked behind me.  
  
"Who's there? Show yourself coward!" I commanded. The figure slunk out of the dark shadows and came forward. His blue and black hair flopped forward, partially covering his face. But I could still see the blood red eyes.  
  
"Kei." I hissed. He advanced upon me, smirking all the while.  
  
"Yes Kamiya, it's me. Surprised ain't ya?" he said. Yea, I was surprised. Even more surprised that he was wearing a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Gap jeans. In fact, he looks like.....no. It's can't be.......can it?  
  
"Kei? Are you.....I mean, are you..." I trailed off. He smirked a bit and nodded.  
  
"Yes Tai, I am. I am in the modeling contest." He stated as he started circling me. I stared at him, unsure of what to say.  
  
"You are probably trying to figure out what drug I'm smokin' now. I'm doing this out of free will." He said. What the hell....Kei Hirotami, willingly competing in a modeling contest.  
  
"But....why?" I finally asked him. He chuckled slightly and stopped in front of me.  
  
"Tai, have you ever wondered why I still hold a grudge about the soccer try- outs?" he asked me. DUDE! Not only is this guy a pain in the ass, he's a psychic too? Things are becoming totally weird now. I nodded and braced myself for one of his attacks.  
  
"Well, then maybe you've also wondered why I've been beating on you for a little soccer try-out." He said just as slowly. Again, all I could do was nod.  
  
"Well, let me tell you something, Kamiya. It's not because of the soccer try-outs." He told me. So Mimi was right. How odd, she's never right.  
  
"Then.....what is the real reason?" I asked cautiously. He grinned a nasty grin.  
  
"Easy. Even a dumb oaf like you should know by now." He replied. I stayed quiet for a bit, trying to think it through.  
  
"Wait, did u just call me a dumb oaf?" I said suddenly. He just shook his head and murmured something like, "Dumb ass."  
  
"Think Kamiya. Who's always with you whenever I pick a fight?" he said slowly. Does he think it has an effect on me if he says stuff extra slow? Because it doesn't. But I did think about what he just said. The only one who was ever around was Matt. Wait a sec....  
  
"You don't mean...."  
  
"Yes Tai. I want your best friend." He delivered the final blow. I stood speechless as he continued to pace around.  
  
"I believe his name is Matt, isn't it? Such a fine looking boy." He said more to himself then to me. But he would look at me ever now and then. So they were directed to me.  
  
"I would pick fights with you just to see him. He's so delicious looking, how could I resist myself?" he said again. I stared at him, anger boiling inside me.  
  
"You stay away from Matt, got it?" I growled murderously.  
  
"Oh, are we jealous?" he taunted me. I growled again. He just laughed in my face.  
  
"Well, seems like someone has a thing for their best friend. Of course, I don't blame you. Matt really is too hot for his own good. It's no wonder he has the whole female population and even some of the male population lusting after him." He said deviously. He knows what he's doing and he knows it's bugging me.  
  
"Plus, I imagine that he would be an excellent partner in bed." He added lustfully. With that last comment, I completely snapped.  
  
"THAT'S IT!" I shouted as I tackled him. I pinned him to the ground and glared in his face.  
  
"NOBODY, absolutely NOBODY talks about MY best friend like that. Matt's a virgin and how dare you even THINK of how he would be as a sexual partner!" I yelled in his face. He just shrugged it off and flipped over. Soon, I was the one on the bottom and he was staring down at me.  
  
"Say all you wish Kamiya. But you can't do anything." He said.  
  
"What are you talking about?" I asked quietly.  
  
"I entered this contest because Matt was a judge. And I intend to win." He explained to me, still pinning me down. I stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"And I can guarantee you, that Matt will be mine by the end of the day. And I will easily get you out of the picture." He said in an evil tone. He then rose from on top of me and yanked me up by my arms. He opened his backpack and grabbed a small black bag. He also took out a baseball bat.  
  
"Lights out Kamiya. The game is over." He said as he raised the bat over my head and swiftly brought it down on my head. I heard myself yell for help, but then it all faded into black darkness.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
I'm SO sorry guys. I know I said the contest would be this chapter, but I got an inspiration suddenly and had to write this. The contest will be next chapter no matter what though.  
  
Ryamon: But what will happen to Tai?  
  
Yes, that is a good question. Guess you'll hafta read the next chapter to find out. Next chapter should be out by Sunday or Monday morning. But in the meantime, reviews please?  
  
Ryamon: she needs them becaz she's a loser.  
  
Shut up Ryamon. See ya all next time! 


	6. I Always Thought Tai Was The ThickHeaded...

Reviews Reviews Reviews! Aren't they just wonderful? Let's answer them now, shall we Ryamon?  
  
Ryamon: Sure IV  
  
Sillie: Evil cliffy's are the best cliffy's. They make you wanna keep reading don't they?  
  
vialana: Tai's got competition all right. Kei is evil! Even though I made him that way. Matt would choose Tai....if it was his decision. And yes, Tai is way hotter and Kei is an ass.  
  
nEo-cHaN: Kei IS mean, but it has to be done. Tai would win the contest even if he was all battered up.  
  
Aero-Grrl: *joins AG in Kei-Kicking* I hate him so much in this story. Just look what he did to Tai! It'll all be good in the end.  
  
Hannio: Everyone wants Matt. He's too popular and hot for his own good. I love them both too.  
  
madkornfan: No I haven't seen you. But I'm not sure if that's a compliment or just a saying.....oh well! Thanx for reading.  
  
CCPheonix: I'm not mad, just....spontaneous. And I would LOVE to kill Kei, but I needed him for this chapter. And on a side note, you're not a mutant.  
  
Angel Ran: You I've never seen around before either. Thanks for reading. Kei is a sneaky bastard. And it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with short-term memory.  
  
And that's all for reviews. This whole chapter is the longest out of all my chapters from everything I've ever written: 13 pages. Thanks for reading guys, enjoy this chapter.  
  
Ryamon: If you can with Ta-  
  
RYAMON! You'll give everything away! Continue on and forth!  
  
Author's POV  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Mimi was pacing around the room impatiently.  
  
"Where the hell is he?" she murmured to herself. Sora lifted her head and glanced over to her companion.  
  
"Where the hell is who, Meems?" she inquired as she got up from her chair.  
  
"Tai. I sent him to go get dressed 20 minutes ago and he hasn't come back yet." She replied.  
  
"Where did you send him?" Sora asked as she and Mimi stepped out of the private dressing room.  
  
"I have no idea. But I have a good guess." She said, pointing to the Boys bathroom. They exchanged looks and shook their heads.  
  
"No way." They said at the same time.  
  
"Hey, why don't we just go and find Matt?" Sora suggested.  
  
"Works for me." Mimi replied and the two girls turned around and went to search for Matt.  
  
********************************** Matt's POV *******************************  
  
This is one interesting way to spend a birthday, judging a male model contest. Who would have thought? However, the contest doesn't start for another half an hour, so I get some down time to relax. I was currently chilling out in the judges' lounge room, stretched out on a sofa. I closed my eyes and shut out the world. But of course when you're me, quiet never lasts long.  
  
"You have to let us in there. We need to talk to him!" a female voice said urgently.  
  
"Sorry girls, but you cannot see him. You can get autographs later but right now he's busy." The security guard answered her.  
  
"We don't need autographs, we need to talk to Matt! It's super important!" a second female voice stated. Upon hearing my name, I walked out to where the voices were.  
  
"Is there a problem Mr. Jensen?" I asked the guard.  
  
"There are two young girls here that are insisting to see you." He replied.  
  
"Matt it's us. We need to talk to you." Sora's voice said to me.  
  
"It's ok, let them in." I commanded the guard. He nodded and stepped aside to allow Sora and Mimi in.  
  
"So what's going on girls?" I asked them as I sat back down on my sofa.  
  
"Matt, please tell me that you know where Tai is?" Mimi said. Uh oh. She's pissed.  
  
"Um, actually, I have no idea. You might want to check the food court." I said jokingly. She glared at me, shutting me up in an instant.  
  
"Matt, I'm serious here! We need to find him and fast." She said in a high pitched voice.  
  
"Have any ideas as to where he might have gone?" I asked them as I followed the two outside the lounge.  
  
"The last thing Meems said to him was to go and get changed. And that was 25 minutes ago. So we're thinking he's in the Boys bathroom. Can you go look for us?" Sora asked me.  
  
"Wish I could guys, but I really need to get back to preparing stuff." I told them.  
  
"Please Yama?" Mimi pleaded. Then they both gave me their puppy look. I CAN'T RESIST THE PUPPY LOOK!  
  
"Fine, I'll go and look." I groaned in defeat. They both squealed and threw their arms around my neck and waist.  
  
"Thanks Matt!" They said simultaneously as they hugged me tighter.  
  
"No problem, but can you please lay off a bit? I can't breath!" I said in a raspy voice. They both let go instantly.  
  
"Damn, you two are scary during puberty." I commented.  
  
"MATT!" They cried at the same time and tried to hit me. I started to laugh and dodged their hits. I ran down the halls and found the Boys bathroom. Although, I still don't see why Tai would still be in there after 25 minutes. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and walked inside.  
  
"Tai? Ya in here, dude?" I called as I walked around. I checked all the stalls. No Tai.  
  
"Where the devil could he be?" I wondered aloud as I leaned my hand against a wall. However, the wall wasn't there, causing me to fall over and land hard.  
  
"What the hell....?" I trailed off as I looked at the hidden area. Looks like they built on to the old restroom. I wandered back towards the no longer used area.  
  
"Even still has the sinks." I murmured to myself. Suddenly I slipped and fell again, only this time from a puddle of water. I sat up a tad dazed and looked for the location that the puddle was forming from. I heard a distant dripping sound coming from my left. I got up and walked toward the sound.  
  
"Where on earth is that dripping?" I asked myself, frustrated that my friends sent me in here in the first place. I walked down to the end of the room, following little puddles along the way. Then I found my source, and was petrified. There was a person standing in front of the sink, with their head under a sink full of water. And what more, the person had a large amount of brown hair......just like..wait!  
  
"TAI!" I shouted in surprise as I ran over to my best friend. He was attached to the sink with duct tape over his neck, making him unable to lift his head.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" I asked him. Then I mentally slapped myself, realizing he couldn't hear me.  
  
"Just hang in there, Tai. I'm working on it." I told him. Why the hell am I being so stupid? I ripped the duct tape off of his neck and pulled him out of the water.  
  
"Tai! Tai, can you hear me?" I asked him. I started to shake him around, trying to get him to wake up. I felt for a pulse and waited. And waited. And waited. No response.  
  
"What the heck? Tai, don't do this to me!" I cried, feeling the panic arising in me. Then I did the only thing I could do. I laid him flat on his back and started doing CPR. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest 3 times. Or was it 5?  
  
"Perfect time to forget things Yamato." I scolded myself. I tried again. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest. Still no response from him.  
  
"Damn it Tai, wake up!" I said desperately. Once more, Yamato. Calm yourself. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. I placed my lips over his, breathing into him. Suddenly he started kissing me back. Surprised, and a bit horrified, I jerked away from Tai and stood up. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He stared at me for a bit and then stood up.  
  
"I'm so sorry Matt." He apologized, eyes glistening with tears, and ran out of the bathroom. All I could do was stand there dumbfounded.  
  
"My best friend just kissed me." I said to myself. Just the thought scared me.  
  
"What's even scarier, I liked it." I whispered to no one in particular.  
  
*********************************** Tai's POV ***********************  
  
Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god!!! What the hell did I just do? I just kissed my best friend while he was performing CPR! I feel like such an idiot now. A very cold and wet idiot at that. Surpressing tears for the 2nd time that day, I burst into the dressing room where the two girls were.  
  
"Tai!" they cried out at the same time and jumped up from the table. I glanced at them and then just collapsed.  
  
"Tai! What's going on?" Sora asked as she lifted me up and set me on the couch.  
  
"Where have you been? And why are you soaking wet?" Mimi questioned as she got out her blow dryer and a towel.  
  
"I just ruined everything there could have been." I said quietly. Damn emotions, I started crying again anyway.  
  
"What happened?" Sora asked kindly as she dried my hair. I told them everything, from my conversation with Kei to his attempt to drown me and ended with my account of taking advantage of Matt.  
  
"What exactly does Kei want?" Mimi asked me.  
  
"The same thing I want." I replied with a bitter edge in my voice.  
  
"Kei wants Matt?" Sora asked, quite surprised. I nodded, causing more tears to fall freely.  
  
"He said *hic* he'd do anything to get rid *hic* of me. And that by the *hic* end of the day, Matt would be *hic* his." I said between hiccups. Mimi looked sympathetic, while Sora looked ready to kill.  
  
"What a low down sleazy piece of-" she stopped herself. Mimi just shook her head.  
  
"Well, looks like we're just gonna have to fight fire with water." She said.  
  
"Isn't the saying fight fire with fire?" I asked her. She nodded and plugged in the blow dryer.  
  
"Yea. But water puts out fire. And we need all the water we can get to put this guy out of the competition." She said grimly and turned on the blow dryer.  
  
********************************* Matt's POV **********************************  
  
I'm not sure how I made it back to the judge room after that, but I guess I did because I was greeted with Mr. Balcom, one of the judges.  
  
"There you are! We're about to start." He said to me as he grabbed my arm. I started to protest, but he didn't seem to care. Accursed adults.  
  
"Matt! Wait up!" a female voice shouted from behind me. I whirled around just in time to see Mimi crash into me.  
  
"Meems, I don't have time for this. I need to get going." I explained to her.  
  
"Wait a sec, Matt. Oh, I know it's in here somewhere." She said as she searched through her pockets.  
  
"Aha! Found you, you little sneak." She said as she produced a piece of paper from her pocket.  
  
"Take this and read it." She told me as she shoved the note in my hand.  
  
"Ok, I will." I promised her. She smiled in triumph.  
  
"Good. Now get you beautiful butt out there to judge." She commanded me and.....slapped my ass? I turned around and stared at her.  
  
"Sorry. Old habit?" she shrugged. I shook my head and headed out of the room. I looked around and saw Balcom waving his hands around. I jogged over there and sat down.  
  
"We're starting in about 2 minutes." He told me. I nodded and looked over the score sheets. Same old stuff as usual. Then I remembered the note Mimi gave me. And everyone knows curiosity is my weakness. I opened the note up and started to read it.  
  
Hey Matt,  
  
Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually. My best advice is just tell him. I know he feels the same, trust me. Just don't break his heart.  
  
Mimi  
  
Ps: watch him today.  
  
What the hell? I have no feelings for Tai whatsoever. What does Mimi think she's trying to do? And how would she know what Tai feels? I do not like Tai that way!  
  
'Then why did you enjoy kissing him?' a little voice in my head asked me. That's a very good question. Why DID I like it? I mean, Tai's my best friend. My MALE best friend.  
  
'Maybe because you've fantasized about it before.' The annoying voice said. Now that I think about it, that is kind of true. I guess I've always been attracted to Tai. It's just sort of weird, thinking of your best friend like that. Your best friend of the same sex. This is just so confusing. Do I like Tai, or don't I? I'll figure it out later, I don't have time for this love teenage emotions crap. The contest is about to start.  
  
********************************** Author's POV *****************************  
  
A young man with brown hair jumped up onto the stage.  
  
"Hello everybody and welcome to the 5th annual Odaiba High Male Model contest. My name is Sean McGuy and I'm your host for the afternoon. Today we have many handsome high school guys here waiting to show our judges what they are made of. So now without further adieu, here are our contestants." Sean announced as the curtains drew away revealing the 13 contestants.  
  
"You know, this is being run more like a beauty pageant then a model contest." Matt whispered to Mr. Balcom. Mr. Balcom hushed him into silence and pointed onto the stage, stating to pay attention to the contest. Matt slouched down in his chair and looked back up at the stage.  
  
"This is going to be a loooooooong day." Matt murmured to himself. He sat back trying to remember why he decided to stick with this job.  
  
'Because you found out that Tai was in the contest.' That little voice returned inside his head. He had to agree though, that was partially true. He had confirmed his suspicions now. Mimi was right, he had fallen for Tai. He glanced at the contestants but he didn't see the one he was looking for.  
  
"How does she expect me to watch him if he's not even up there to begin with?" he muttered to himself.  
  
"Hey Ishida, quit talking to yourself. Not a very good image for yourself." A judge named Draco told him. (A/N: Just because I believe the Draco from Harry Potter is a pain in the ass doesn't mean I can't love his name. Sounds like dragon. =D) Draco seemed like a decent guy. Just graduated from high school himself in London, he was really the only other guy on the judge panel he could relate to.  
  
"Sorry, Draco. Just stuff on my mind ya know?" he said casually as he continued to search for Tai.  
  
"So who ya looking for?" Draco said abruptly. Matt was caught off-guard.  
  
"Who says I was looking for someone?" Matt said defensively.  
  
"Duh, you just said something about watching someone. So who is it?" Draco asked as he leaned back in his chair. He started to place his feet on the table but was sent a scowl by Balcom. Draco sent his own back at him and looked over to Matt.  
  
"Oh, just someone I know. My best friend actually." Matt said, again attempting to sound casual. However, he was getting nervous now. Draco had a reputation of prying into other people's lives without them realizing it.  
  
"The same best friend that you supposedly have a crush on?" Draco said with a smirk on his face. Matt felt his face grow hot.  
  
"Where on earth did you get that idea?" he said with a nervous laugh. Draco kept the smirk on his face as he placed his hand in front of Matt's face. Nestled between his index and middle finger was a piece of paper. Matt's eyes widened in horror. 'Not only does Draco have a reputation for prying, he has a reputation for pick-pocketing.' Matt remembered sullenly.  
  
"Hey Matt. Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually." Draco read off the paper in a ridiculously high-pitched voice.  
  
"Keep it down will you?" Matt whispered frantically. Draco laughed and shoved the note back into Matt's hand.  
  
"So, you have a crush on this Tai fellow?" Draco asked, obviously amused by this situation.  
  
"No." Matt automatically responded. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow.  
  
"Well, maybe. I dunno." He replied truthfully.  
  
"How can you not know your own feelings smart ass?" Draco asked with a grin.  
  
"It's hard to explain. I'm totally confused." Matt answered him, the contest now totally forgotten at the moment.  
  
"Well, how do you feel whenever you're around him?" Draco asked as he grabbed a notepad and a pair of black glasses without frames.  
  
"Oh drop the psychiatrist act would you?" Matt said, trying not to snicker.  
  
"All right I get your point. Anyway, what are your feelings like? Honestly." Draco added.  
  
"Well, most of the time we're cool, you know? Like we always are, just two best guy friends enjoying each other's company. Then there'll be times where things are really strange. I'm totally uncomfortable around him and more sensitive to him I suppose." Matt explained. Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.  
  
"Yea, like I'll believe that bullshit, Ishida." He said with his British accent. Matt looked at him curiously, wondering whether he was always like this, or if he had just gone mad.  
  
"More along the lines of.....feel nervous yet sort of giddy around the bloke?" Draco said. Matt gaped at him, appearing not to understand.  
  
"So I'm right?" Draco said. Matt nodded and signed.  
  
"Does he love you?" Draco asked curiously. Matt shrugged and watched the contest. He looked at the contestants and searched through them. Finally he saw Tai. The brunette beauty had dried off and was out with the other models, but Matt saw that he was slightly limping. 'Must have tried to put up a struggle with his attacker.' He thought as he continued staring at him.  
  
"So, which one's Tai?" Draco's voice said out of nowhere, startling Matt out of his musing.  
  
"The only one with gravity-defying hair." Matt replied as he continued to follow his every move.  
  
"The brunette in the middle, with the green tanktop?" Draco asked, pointing him out. Matt nodded, not really paying much attention to Draco's babbling. Draco also watched Tai with interest.  
  
"He's pretty cute." Draco said casually. Matt started to agree, but then Draco's words sunk in.  
  
"What?" Matt asked as he glanced over to his friend.  
  
"I said he's cute. What's so bad about that?" Draco said, grinning at Matt. Matt stared at him for a bit, trying to figure out why the hell a straight guy would say another guy is cute. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
"You're gay aren't you?" Matt asked as he turned to face Draco. He just smirked and opened his eyes.  
  
"Actually I'm bi, but it's the same to me." He said. Matt stared some more and then smacked Draco behind the head.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a whiny voice.  
  
"Because I love watching you squirm." Draco answered arrogantly.  
  
"You are an ass you know that?" Matt sighed as he turned around to judge the last round.  
  
"No I didn't. But your friend has a nice one." Draco said slyly. Matt let out a low growl and glared at him. Draco laughed and marked his scores.  
  
"Just pullin' your leg mate. I wouldn't steal him." Draco said with a wink. Matt shook his head and handed in his score sheet for the first round.  
  
"So you going to tell him?" he asked Matt as they waited for the next round to start.  
  
"Maybe. Depends on how the rest of today goes I guess." Matt replied as they got out the next scoresheets and prepared for round two.  
  
"You should. Chances are he loves you." Draco said logically.  
  
"Yea, but what if he doesn't? Then I look like an idiot and lose my best friend." Matt explained as he chewed on the end of the pen in his hand. Draco sighed and took the pen out of his hand.  
  
"Quit being a prat and just go for it. If you two really are best friends, a little thing like this won't come between you." Draco said as he wiped Matt's drool from his pen.  
  
"How do you know for sure, Drac? What if you're wrong?" Matt said, feeling a bit frustrated by this point.  
  
"I just do mate. Trust me, it's happened to the best of us." Draco reassured him.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Matt asked, eager for answers while he had the chance.  
  
"Look. When I first realized I was bi, it was because I was crushing on my best friend. So I told him that. He didn't feel the same way though." Draco told Matt. Matt looked slightly alarmed.  
  
"But, he accepted me for it and said he was sorry. So we're still best friends even today. And this was about 2 years ago." Draco added quickly.  
  
"So the worst that could happen is that he could say no." Matt repeated to himself. Draco nodded.  
  
"You got that right kid. It'll all turn out in the end." He said confidently. Matt merely nodded and went back into his own fantasies.  
  
Meanwhile, Tai was back in his dressing room changing into his tux. He was thinking about Matt again, and how he screwed everything up.  
  
"I can't believe I did that. I wouldn't be surprised if he's totally repulsed about me by now. Stupid egotistical dumbass!" Tai scolded himself. He was interrupted by a knock on the door however. Mimi walked in.  
  
"Hey. How's it going so far?" she asked him as she sat down.  
  
"It's ok. It hurts to walk though. I think Kei might have banged up my leg before he attempted to drown me." He replied as he gingerly knelt on the floor in front of her.  
  
"How much time do I have?" he asked Mimi. She checked her watch and then looked at a paper in her hand.  
  
"About ten minutes. Sora went to find Kari and TK." Mimi answered the unasked question.  
  
"Ok. Think this is actually going to work?" Tai asked her suddenly. Mimi blinked in surprise.  
  
"Is what going to work?" she asked curiously.  
  
"The plan to get him to notice me and fall for me." Tai said as he stood up.  
  
"I have no idea if it will or not. Let's hope it does." She said with a cheerful smile and followed him out of the room. She checked her watch again and sighed.  
  
"Looks like you're up next Kamiya. Good luck." She said as she gave him a hug.  
  
"Thanks. See you in a bit." He called behind him as he walked over to the runway.  
  
"Are you Tai?" the assistant asked. He nodded and looked around.  
  
"Get up here. You're on next." She told him as she practically threw him up there.  
  
"Jeez, people need to calm down." Tai murmured to himself.  
  
"And now for our next model, Tai Kamiya." Sean announced as Tai walked out onto the runway. He walked the way Mimi had showed him and looked around the crowd. He could see Sora, Mimi, and Kari towards the back. He grinned and stopped at the end of the runway. He started doing different poses, not really hearing what Sean was saying about him. He just focused on the blonde in front of him.  
  
Only, something wasn't right about this scene. While Tai was trying to make eye contact with Matt, Matt was talking to the guy next to him. He seemed to be having a good conversation going on with him.  
  
'Must be more interesting then me.' Tai thought glumly as his grin began to fade. Then he remembered the last thing Mimi told him.  
  
"Never stop smiling. It's the thing that docks you every time. Besides, you look so cute when you smile." She said inside his head. He replanted the grin on his face. However, it still felt false.  
  
Down in the judges' panel, Matt was talking to Draco again. He had to do anything possible not to look at Tai.  
  
"Matt, he's watching you mate." Draco said as he watched Tai.  
  
"Oh well. I don't care." Matt said childishly.  
  
"Matt quit being a prick. If you give off the wrong impression, you will lose your love. Not to mention your friendship." Draco warned him.  
  
"I thought you said that wouldn't happen!" Matt exclaimed in a whisper.  
  
"Ah, I said if you declared the fact that you fancy him. But if you ignore him, he'll just become pissed." Draco said. Matt took a deep breath and thought about that. In the end, he looked up at him.  
  
"That's better." Draco whispered as Tai posed again. He looked down at Matt and paused. His brown eyes were filled with hurt and confusion. Although he was still grinning, Matt realized that he was already upset.  
  
'Shit what am I suppose to do now?' he thought frantically, desperate not to lose him. 'What do Sora and Mimi do whenever they want to attract someone's attention?' he thought, trying to remember. Then it came back to him. He looked up at Tai and watched him carefully. Once he had made eye contact again, he started his own plan. He winked at him.  
  
Tai stared at him in mid-pose, trying to figure out what the heck Matt just did. Then he figured it out. Slowly, but surly.  
  
"Two can play this game." He said under his breath. His grin grew wider and he posed again. This time however, he took off his coat and threw it aside. Underneath the coat was a white long-sleeve button up shirt. Only it was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a fine portion of his chest to Matt's prying eyes. Matt's eyes widened, not taking his eyes off of Tai now. He saw Tai smirk at him and turn.  
  
'He's playing games is he?' Matt thought. He waited for Tai to turn back to him and caught his eye again. He slowly started rubbing his pen to his lips, licking them after. He started moving his tongue around inside his mouth and sat back to watch Tai's reaction.  
  
Tai could hardly stand it anymore. 'A hard-on is not the best thing to be getting in the middle of a model contest.' He told himself, trying to control himself. Thankfully he was saved as Sean called him off-stage. As he walked off, Sean announced the last contestant.  
  
"Our last contestant today is Kei Hirotami." He said. Kei walked onto the runway and went to exactly the same spot as Tai was. He turned a bit, but didn't really pose. Then he caught Matt's eye and winked at him. Matt shot back his own look of horror and scooted closer to Draco.  
  
"Blimey, who is that git?" Draco asked him.  
  
"That's Kei. He's the biggest prick in Odaiba." Matt said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Why's that?" Draco asked  
  
"Because he always tries to beat the crap out of Tai for no reason." Matt explained as he forced himself to watch Kei. He started twisting his face in odd ways and moving his tongue, at Matt. Implying.........  
  
"What the hell is this guy's problem?" Mimi asked as she watched him in disgust.  
  
"Who knows?" Sora said as she too watched uncomfortably. They had gotten seats too far to really see what was going on up there, but Kari was giving them details from her binoculars.  
  
"Oh my gosh. Guys, he's hitting on Matt!" Kari exclaimed.  
  
"Say what?" Sora and Mimi said together as they stood up. Sora took the binoculars from Kari and looked ahead.  
  
"I'm going to kill that asshole." She growled as she handed the binoculars to Mimi. Mimi looked towards Matt.  
  
"Well, at least Matt's as repulsed by it as we are." She said cheerfully.  
  
"I hope you're right." Sora said as she returned the binoculars to Kari. Kei finally got off stage and was replaced by Sean.  
  
"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Our contestants for our 5th annual male model contest! The judges shall give us our winner very shortly. In the meantime......" Sean started jabbering about something else while the judges talked amongst themselves. Tai sat behind the curtain waiting for any sign of what he should be doing.  
  
"Where the devil did you come from Kamiya?" a voice said from behind him. Tai whirled around and looked at Kei.  
  
"Did you honestly think you could keep me out of the competition?" Tai asked him as he stood up.  
  
"Damn you. You're suppose to be locked away!" Kei said outraged. Tai clicked his tongue.  
  
"Such a shame that you lack confidence so much that you had to resort to cheating." He said in a mock-tone voice.  
  
"Whatever." Was all Kei said and he disappeared through the curtain with Tai at his heels. Sean was once again on the runway, but this time he had an envelope in his hand.  
  
"All right ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner right in this very envelope." He said as he held it up. He tore it up and read the name inside.  
  
"And the winner is......Kei Hirotami." **************************************************************************** ** DON"T HURT ME! I did that for a good reason.  
  
Ryamon: But for that good reason to come, you need to review.  
  
I don't care if it's just yelling about Kei, please review. Next chapter will be up soon.  
  
Ryamon: and will be the last, besides an epilogue.  
  
Yup, that's right. Bai y'all! 


	7. This Plan Turned Out Better Then We Thou...

Ryamon: Well boys and girls, this story almost over.  
  
ALMOST being our keyword here. Read the bottom note. Anyway, I'm not going to waste more time, so let's just jump into the reviews.  
  
Ryamon: We had A LOT of people with the same opinion about the last chapter.  
  
CCPheonix: I agree with Patamon, violence isn't good. DON'T HURT ME! *hides behind Ryamon* I'm SO sorry about the Kei thing. I HATE HIM SO MUCH! But just to make sure, I made this chapter EXTRA good! And Kei flirting with Matt is not a pretty image.  
  
vialana: Tai's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY hotter then Kei, no doubt. And yes I did do that for a reason. =D And I can just imagine those two flirting like that.  
  
madkornfan: You want more? You got more! =D  
  
Peace Angel and Dark Angel: Glitch in the scores huh? You are right on the money. Just read and find out what happened. And there is no word to describe how awful Kei is.  
  
Angel Chick: I updated as fast as I could. Glad you love it.  
  
Death Stopper: Kei is horrible isn't he? Can't stand him!!!  
  
Aero-Grrl: *closes Aero's Mouth* Every one hates Kei. It's unanimous. I wouldn't want you to have a breakdown so here's the chapter! =D  
  
Sillie: Thanks! I really hate having him almost drown. STUPID KEI! Oh well, Yama is his own personal Superman.  
  
Gay Witch: I love my cliffhangers, don't you? Lol  
  
redvind: Whatever you do, do not hurt me! I'm too...something to die yet! I fixed it! Everything's all right now. Hope this chapter makes you happy! *glances warily at knife*  
  
nEo-cHaN: Why does everyone want to kill me? *cries* I fixed it to make it all better! And I didn't do it. I was under the influence of cotton candy and the pink monkeys.  
  
Angel Ran: Tai's not really happy with the outcome, let's say that. But he will be with this chapter. And they would look so cute actually flirting like that. I hate Kei, he will pay!  
  
And that's it. Please don't hurt me yet, just read the chapter. Definitely my most favorite one yet. Full of pure Taito goodness, although I'm not sure it'd be considered fluff. Anyway, enjoy! And please read bottom note! XD  
  
Tai's POV  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
"And the winner is....Kei Hirotami!" Sean announced to the crowd. I felt my jaw drop and saw Kei walk up to Sean. Sean started talking some more. "I failed. I don't believe this. I lost to Kei." I said to myself. How the hell did I lose to Kei? This makes no sense. 'Don't cry, whatever you do.' I scolded myself.  
  
"What? Wait a second ladies and gentlemen. There seems to be a conflict with the judges' scores." Sean announced to everyone. I looked up and glanced down at Matt. He was talking rapidly to the guy next to him. Then he got up and walked over to the judge on the far right. He started talking to him. The judge shook his head. Matt started pointing at stuff on the paper and then starting talking to him again. The judge looked at Matt, then at the paper, then back to Matt. He slowly nodded and Matt grinned. He walked away from the table and jumped up on the runway next to Sean. He ripped the microphone out of his hand and whispered in his ear. Sean nodded and stepped out of Matt's way.  
  
"Hey everybody, sorry about that." Matt greeted the crowd. They went wild just seeing Matt up there. Matt grinned and waved.  
  
"As many of you may know, I am Yamato Ishida, lead singer of the Teenage Wolves." Matt introduced himself.  
  
"Like we need an intro, Blondie. All we need is your number!" Someone screamed from the crowd. Matt grinned and shook his head.  
  
"Apparently, we had some problems adding up our scores," he said while glaring at the other blond he had been talking to. "But we have fixed our mistake. So the REAL winner is....." He started saying. Damn it Yama, just say it!  
  
"The winner is..Tai Kamiya!" Matt announced. Cheers erupted trough the store. 'I failed again.' I thought depressedly. I turned around to leave the runway when his words sunk in.  
  
"What'd he say?" I asked as I stared into the crowd.  
  
"Kamiya, get your hot self out here you dumbass!" Matt said as he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of line. Everything was all a daze as cameras flashed and people cheered. Sean made a grab for his microphone, but Matt stepped away from him. He walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.  
  
"So Tai, tell us how it feels to be #1 model in Odaiba?" Matt asked, trying to hold back his laughter.  
  
"Well, it's better then winning a soccer game." I replied, causing people in the audience to laugh.  
  
"True. So why did you sign up for this contest anyway?" Matt asked me. I gave him a you-already-know look.  
  
"Just play along." He whispered into my ear. I nodded and grinned.  
  
"Well, I did this to prove a point really." I started out my explanation.  
  
"What was your point?" Matt asked.  
  
"A couple of weeks ago, my best friend said I couldn't do anything that wasn't a sport. I did this to prove that I was more then the dumb jock." I said, looking Matt in the eye. Matt stared at me and remained quiet for a bit. Suddenly he jerked out of his trance when he remembered where we were.  
  
"Well, you proved your point, because you won!" Matt said as he drew something out of his pocket. He handed it to me.  
  
"And here is your check for the prize money!" He declared as I opened it. I looked at it, read it, and then showed it to Matt. His face flushed and he snatched it away.  
  
"Heh Heh, wrong paper." He said nervously and felt around in his pockets. He found the check and placed it into my hand.  
  
"You will explain later." I whispered into his ear. He nodded and turned back to the crowd.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2003 male model!" he pronounced as they cheered again. I grinned and walked off the runway. I headed back into the dressing room and found the 3 girls and TK waiting for me.  
  
"TAI! YOU DID IT!" Mimi shouted cheerfully as she threw herself onto me. I smiled and pried her off of me. Then Sora did the same thing.  
  
"I told you so! I knew you would win, no doubt." She gloated as she hugged me too. She let go off me on her own freewill. Then Kari mimicked them.  
  
"Congratulations Tai." She said to me. I grinned and hugged her back.  
  
"Thanks guys. Nice to have a trophy for something else." I said, admiring my gold model.  
  
"Tai, what are you going to do with all the money?" TK asked me.  
  
"Save to buy a car. After all, I start driving legally next year." I said.  
  
"Sounds good. You gonna drive me and TK around when you do?" Kari asked. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Don't push your luck." I warned her. She just laughed at me. We were interrupted by a knock on the door. A man in a business suit walked in.  
  
"Tai Kamiya?" He asked me.  
  
"Yea that's me." I replied.  
  
"I'm Mark Fletcher. I've been watching you through out the contest today." He introduced himself with that statement. Mimi had this excited look on her face, urging me to continue speaking to this guy.  
  
"Um, I'm not sure what to say Mr. Fletcher." I replied truthfully.  
  
"Please, call me Mark." He said.  
  
"Ok. I don't mean to sound rude Mark, but what exactly does that mean?" I asked him. To my relief, he smiled and sat down.  
  
"Sorry. Let me explain myself a bit better." He offered. I looked at Mimi and then nodded.  
  
"I'm a model scout. I work for the Abercrombie & Fitch model company. I'm part of the group of people who go around and draft models." He explained.  
  
"OH! I've heard about people like you. I get it now!" I said with a wide grin. I heard Mimi moan and shake her head. Mark just chuckled lightly.  
  
"Yes. So anyway, the company sent me out here to draft some new models in for the summer and fall." Mark went on.  
  
"Oh. I never noticed you were here." I replied. He nodded.  
  
"My point is, I think that you would make a fine model." Mark said. That threw me off-guard. I didn't think he would tell me that.  
  
"Thanks." I said, but he continued speaking.  
  
"Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to be drafted into the next string of models for A&F." Mark said. I stared at him, then at Mimi, then at Kari, then Sora, then back to Mark.  
  
"Do I have to answer now?" I asked him cautiously.  
  
"Certainly not. Take your time. It's a big decision." Mark said.  
  
"How will I contact you?" I asked him. He glanced at Mimi and then back at me.  
  
"I'm sure Ms. Tachikawa can help you there." He replied with a wink at Mimi. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some papers. He placed them in my hands.  
  
"What are these?" I asked as I leafed through them.  
  
"Papers about the modeling program, ideas, and a contract if you do decide to do this." He explained as he pulled a card out of his pocket.  
  
"And these are ways to get in touch with me." He handed it to me.  
  
"Thanks very much Mark. I'll think about it. I need to talk to my parents and such though." I replied. He nodded and stood up.  
  
"That's perfectly fine Tai. But please consider it. You would make an excellent model. Goodbye." He said as he left.  
  
"Bye. And thanks." I called after him. I sat down on the couch and looked through the papers.  
  
"Mimi, how do you know him?" I asked her. She jumped and blinked at me in surprise.  
  
"Oh, Mark works for other companies besides A&F. He's also a friend of Daddy's." she replied.  
  
"You sent him out here, didn't you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.  
  
"What?" she asked, pretending to be confused.  
  
"You heard me. You sent Mark out to this contest to watch me didn't you?" I said with a smirk. She smiled.  
  
"Well, sort of. Abercrombie and Fitch wanted to draft some models from other countries. They wanted to try Japan. I found this out after Sora told me about you and the contest. So I told Mark about the contest and about you. He agreed to come and watch. And look where that got you." She said triumphantly.  
  
"True. That's very true." I said as I went back to looking over the papers.  
  
"Think you'll do it, Tai?" TK asked me.  
  
"I don't know. I would love to, but I don't know if I could." I replied.  
  
"Did you just say you would love to?" Sora asked, shocked by my response.  
  
"Yea. I actually enjoyed myself today. Modeling's not as bad as I thought it would be." I replied.  
  
"That's just because you like to show off." She retorted. I stuck my tongue out at her.  
  
"Tai, that's SO second grade, babe." Mimi mocked me. I grinned and shook my head.  
  
"Do you think Mom and Dad will let you do this Tai?" Kari asked. I shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe. I'll figure it out eventually. I really hope so though." I told her just as another knock on the door came. Matt walked in and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Damn people, wouldn't let me go right away." He grumbled to himself as he walked over to us.  
  
"Hello to you too." I said sarcastically. He grinned and slung his arm over my shoulder.  
  
"Hey. Congratulations. That was excellent." He said. He leaned over and put his mouth close to my ear.  
  
"Any way of getting rid of the others?" he whispered to me. I looked at him and then at Sora. I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head to the door. She grinned and nodded.  
  
"Hey guys, let's go down to the food court. I'm starving." She proclaimed as she walked towards the door. The others followed her as they continued to chatter about everything. Sora looked back at me, then at Matt, and winked before shutting the door. We sat in silence for a bit before I spoke.  
  
"What did you want me to get rid of the others for?" I asked him. He shook his head.  
  
"Just to talk to you." He replied.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Look. I just wanna apologize for saying that stupid thing about you only being a jock."  
  
"It sort of pissed me off."  
  
"I know, and I have no clue why I said that." I sighed and stood up.  
  
"You know, neither do I." I replied as I started walking around. He started to speak, but I cut him off.  
  
"It actually sort of hurt. To actually know what my best friend thought of me." I laughed dryly.  
  
"Here I thought you saw me as more then that. But instead, I'm just a dumb muscle-headed jock." I ended bitterly.  
  
"Tai, I.........I didn't think you would actually take me serious." He said quietly. I snorted and turned away from him.  
  
"Well, guess what. I did. So there." I said bitterly. I heard him stand up and walk towards me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me around.  
  
"Quit being a jackass and listen to me." He said harshly. I twisted out of his grasp.  
  
"Oh, so now I'M being a jackass?" I yelled at him.  
  
"YES YOU ARE!" He yelled back. I cried out in rage and punched him in the arm. He growled back and slapped me. We soon were lying on the floor trying to beat each other up. It finally ended with me pinned on the floor between Matt and the couch. He stared at me long and hard for several minutes before I spoke.  
  
"All right. I'm sorry." I sighed, struggling to get out of his reach. Yama became dangerously violent when he was angry.  
  
"That's good." He said roughly as he got off of me and sat on the couch. He dragged me up next to him by my collar.  
  
"So.....what was that note in your pocket about?" I asked him innocently.  
  
"That? Well......um...I...." Matt desperately tried to explain without embarrassing himself.  
  
"Mimi wrote me that. She believes that I love you." Matt said defeatedly.  
  
"Well, do you?" He shrugged.  
  
"Of course I do, you dork. You're my best friend." He replied. I shook my head.  
  
"You know what I mean Yama." I said. He shrugged again.  
  
"Before I answer that, I have a question for you." He said, ignoring the name.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Who tried drowning you?" I shivered involuntarily.  
  
"Kei." I replied after some time.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he's a jerk."  
  
"What was he trying to do?"  
  
"He was trying to keep me out of the contest." Matt didn't expect that answer.  
  
"And why the hell did he try that?"  
  
"Because I guess he figured you would pick me over him." Matt rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, duh! I mean come on. Were you watching him? He was trying to flirt with me. And he sucked at it!" I burst into laughter.  
  
"Kei? Was flirting with you?" I said in between giggles.  
  
"You laugh like a girl you know that?"  
  
"That's not the point."  
  
"Yes it is."  
  
"Oh shut up." We sat quiet again, just enjoying each other's company.  
  
"Tai?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why did you kiss me?" Ah, the question of dread. I was really hoping he wouldn't ask me that.  
  
"Um.....I thought you were Sora?" I replied uncertainly. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Bullshit. No really, what's the real reason?"  
  
"I.....I really don't know." He took Mimi's note out of his pocket.  
  
"Read this." He commanded as he placed it in my hand. I did what I was told, while Matt quietly watched me. I felt my face change from normal to horrified to embarrassed beyond reasoning. I handed it back to him without saying anything.  
  
"Is what Mimi said true?" he asked me. I hesitated, then slightly nodded.  
  
"You wanna know the real reason why Kei tried keeping me out of the contest?" I asked him. He nodded and motioned for me to continue.  
  
"He wants you Matt. And I did too. He knew that I was better then him, so he figured if he got rid of me, you would pick him and become his boyfriend. Which is dumb because you're not even gay." I babbled on until he shut me up.  
  
"What makes you think that I'm not?"  
  
"And what's that suppose to mean?"  
  
"What if I told you I didn't care?" I raised my eyebrow and glanced at him.  
  
"Didn't care about what?"  
  
"I didn't care that you kissed me." He was dead serious.  
  
"Why wouldn't you? You tried saving me and I just took advantage of you like that." He shook his head and turned my face towards him.  
  
"Think that it matters? I didn't care if you took advantage of me. It all just......felt sort of right, you know? Like, that we were supposed to do that." I felt the tears prickling at the back of my eyes but managed to blink them away.  
  
"Matt, you don't understand. It was still wrong. I think you're making a mistake."  
  
"How am I making a mistake?"  
  
"You were in a state of shock and panic when I kissed you. You're just saying you liked it because you weren't thinking clearly." My voice started shaking. He shook his head.  
  
"Tai, I was thinking perfectly clear and still am now. I'm in love with you." I shook my head, refusing to believe it.  
  
"Matt, quit kidding around." I couldn't take it anymore. I started crying. AGAIN! How many more times am I going to cry today? You would think I'm a girl inside a boy body for god's sake!  
  
"Tai, do you think I would joke about something like that?" He said angrily. I didn't respond to him. He sighed and put his hands on my shoulders, while I placed my head on his shoulder.  
  
"Tai, do you remember when we first became friends?" I nodded into his shoulder.  
  
"I said that we were best friends. You didn't want to believe it." He smiled a bit.  
  
"You told me to prove it. So I started trying to do things to show you that you were my best friend." I nodded again.  
  
"Then one day you and I were hanging out down at the park. Some older kids decided to pick on us. They started with you. The first one punched you." He continued. 'Please don't bring me back to that memory Matt.' I silently begged him. Obviously he couldn't hear me since it was silent, but you know what I mean.  
  
"You didn't respond to him the first time. So he tried again by kicking you."  
  
"And then you stepped in and told them to leave me alone. They ganged up on you and you took them on all at once. You beat them up pretty good too. But you got hurt also." I finished for him. (A/N: just a little FYI, they were about 8 when that happened.)  
  
"Yea. I had a split lip and black eye. But then you said that I gave you my proof. So it didn't matter to me anymore."  
  
"And here we are today." I finished monotonely. He nodded and sighed slightly. It was once again quiet.  
  
"Did I ever thank you for doing that?" he shrugged.  
  
"I don't remember. That was almost 7 years ago."  
  
"Well, thanks. For everything you've done over those past years."  
  
"Whatever." It was a short and crude response, but I knew what he really meant. More silence was amongst us.  
  
"What does that story have to do with now?" I asked him. He lifted my face off of his shoulder.  
  
"I'm going to give you proof, just like you always want." He said with a smirk.  
  
"W-what exactly are you going to do?" I stammered. He didn't answer me. Instead, he cupped my face with his hand and connected his lips with mine. I froze and just sat there. I couldn't believe he was doing this. On his own free will! I slowly started kissing back. I felt his tongue run over my lips, begging for me to let it in. Of course, I complied and let him explore on his own. I would have loved for this moment to last forever, but unfortunately, we're humans so we had to stop to breathe. He was panting and I collapsed into his chest.  
  
"There's your proof. I'm in love with you. I can't say how long, but I am. Always have I guess." He said to me. I nodded weakly.  
  
"Wow." I whispered. Then I realized how much of an idiot I sounded like.  
  
"If that's true....why didn't you tell me before?" I asked him. He shrugged and sighed again.  
  
"I don't know. Just didn't want to face the risks."  
  
"What risks?"  
  
"Well, for one, what if you didn't feel the same way?"  
  
"What if I say I don't?" He just gave me a look.  
  
"Whatever Tai." I gave him a goofy grin and shrugged.  
  
"Just asking." He shook his head and laughed.  
  
"Sora and Mimi are right."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You are too adorable for words at times." He grinned and pinched my cheek.  
  
"OW! Don't do that." I mumbled as I massaged my cheek. He grinned again.  
  
"Couldn't help myself."  
  
"I'm so sure."  
  
"So am I." I rolled my eyes and leaned my back against his chest.  
  
"Anyway, what were your risks you were talking about?"  
  
"Oh! Well, if you didn't feel the same way, I could have lost my best friend."  
  
"Oh come on Matt. Do you really think your sexual preference would have made me change my opinion of you?" He shrugged.  
  
"At the time being yes."  
  
"Baka. You know that I wouldn't throw away a perfectly good friendship over something like that."  
  
"That's what Draco said." I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Who's Draco?" I asked suspiciously.  
  
"Ah, is Tai jealous?" he said in a baby voice.  
  
"Yes. So who is he?"  
  
"He's just a friend of mine."  
  
"That blonde you were talking to at the judge table?" He nodded.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"What were you two talking about anyway?"  
  
"Mostly you."  
  
"What about me? How incredibly cute I am? Or how good of a soccer player I am?" He rolled his eyes and slapped me behind the head.  
  
"Get over yourself. It wasn't anything like that."  
  
"Then what was it?"  
  
"Why should I tell you?"  
  
"Because you're my best friend and you love me?" I gave him the puppy eyes that took me many years to perfect. He can't stand the puppy eyes. It's his only weakness.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"You say that a lot you know that?"  
  
"Are you going to shut up so I can talk?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. Now anyway"  
  
"That's another thing you say a lot, anyway."  
  
"TAI! SHUT UP!"  
  
"Ok already, have a heart attack." I said under my breath. He shook his head and flipped me off.  
  
"When and where?" I asked innocently.  
  
"Later, your place." He answered just as innocently.  
  
"Something for me to look forward to."  
  
"Ok. So anyway, Draco had taken the note out of my pocket and read it. He started asking me questions about you and how I feel about you and blah blah blah. He basically helped me realize how I felt."  
  
"I thought you said that you always knew." I said quietly. I couldn't help the hurt tone in my voice.  
  
"I did, Hun. Trust me." He said as he wrapped his arms around me.  
  
"Then why....." I drifted off. He was really confusing me now.  
  
"I always knew. But I guess I was afraid to actually believe in those feelings. All I really needed was a push in the right direction. And Draco gave me that push I needed to be where we are now."  
  
"Were you afraid of me?" I asked. 'Gah! My voice sounds so childish!' I scolded myself.  
  
"Of course not. How could I be afraid of you?" I shrugged and snuggled closer into his chest.  
  
"I don't know. But I'm glad you're not. And I'm glad that you love me."  
  
"I'm glad I love you too." He grinned. I playfully glared at him.  
  
"Ok, I'm also glad that you love me."  
  
"That's better." We were met once again with the silence. Only this time, it was a peaceful silence rather then a tenseful one.  
  
"Hey Matt?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Does that mean we're going out now?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Do you want it to mean we are?"  
  
"Yes. I did not spend this much time on hair and make-up just for you to kiss and run."  
  
"Then it's settled. As of now, you and I are going out. With each other I mean." I nodded and closed my eyes.  
  
"You tired or something?" I re-opened my eyes and looked up at him.  
  
"Kind of. This day has been really stressful for me. What with Kei trying to kill me and me trying to figure out your feelings and all." I said with a yawn.  
  
"Then why don't you take a nap? We don't have to be back at my apartment for about an hour." I nodded and made myself comfortable on his chest.  
  
"There, that's better. Just be at peace with yourself." I just stared at him.  
  
"Is your dad making you see that psychiatrist again?" He grinned and nodded.  
  
"Of course. He doesn't realize it's all your fault I've been acting depressed lately." I just nodded and zoned out. After all, I was only half-awake. But I guess Matt could tell because he didn't say any more of the subject.  
  
"Get some sleep, love." He said gently and kissed my forehead. And then it wasn't long after that I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, wrapped in the comfort and safety of my boyfriend's arms.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** There will be an epilogue to follow in this story either tomorrow or Monday. Reviews please? 


	8. Epilogue: The Only Kind Of Birthday Wort...

Hey everybody, the contest ends today. So here is the final chapter! *confetti flies everywhere*  
  
Ryamon: she likes confetti. Weirdo.  
  
Shut up Ryamon. Thanks for all the great reviews guys. I appreciate it. This chapter is dedicated to CCPheonix for her contest, vialana for her great story "Limits of Friendship," and nEo-cHaN for writing such great Taito stories. But everyone is great. Please enjoy this chapter and read the bottom note. Thanks guys!  
  
Tai's POV  
  
**************************************************************************** ** It was about 2 hours after Matt and I hooked up that we left the mall. I had changed back into my first outfit, the soccer tank and flare jeans. Matt said he thought it made me look sexy, so of course I changed back into it. So we were walking around town, slowly heading back to his apartment.  
  
"Why do we have to go back to your apartment so early, Yama?" I asked him. He shrugged and shook his head.  
  
"No clue. My dad just said he wanted me home after the contest."  
  
"But the contest ended 2 hours ago. Isn't he going to be mad?"  
  
"Hey, what he doesn't no won't hurt him." He replied and slipped his free hand into mine.  
  
"That's a very good point." We walked in silence just watching the upbeat attitude of the city.  
  
"Matt? What are we going to tell the others?"  
  
"Tell the others about what, T-chan?" I looked at him, then pointedly at our hands.  
  
"I mean about you and me." He stopped walking and looked at me.  
  
"Are you ashamed to be with me or something?"  
  
"No! Of course not. I've been waiting for this forever. But how do you think they'll react?" He started walking again.  
  
"Who cares what they think? I mean, I've got you, you've got me, we COULD survive without the others." He said. I sighed and followed him.  
  
"I know we could, but I mean, I happen to like having my friends around."  
  
"I know. But they're just like me. They aren't going to stop hanging out with us just because we swing the other way." He said with a laugh. I started to laugh too. It feels good to be happy again, like truly. Everything just seemed so right at the moment. I've got the best boyfriend in the world, holding my hand and walking together, just enjoying the other's presence.  
  
"Tai, where are you going?" Matt's voice interrupted my musing. I came to a halt and turned around. I was so deep in thought that I didn't even notice the fact that we had reached his apartment building.  
  
"Um....upstairs to your floor?" I answered him. He just shook his head and dragged me inside.  
  
"C'mon Mr. Model, let's go." I grinned and followed him into the elevator.  
  
"You are such a ditz you know that?" I looked up and gave him my innocent look.  
  
"No. Am I?"  
  
"Yea, but you're a cute ditz so it's not a big deal." The elevator bell rang and the doors opened, revealing his floor.  
  
"You coming?" he held out his hand. I nodded and grabbed it.  
  
"Let's go." I replied as we headed down to his apartment.  
  
************************* Matt's POV ******************************************  
  
The hallway was surprisingly quiet as Tai and I walked along it. It was sort of creepy, like in those old horror movies.  
  
"Matt? Is it always this dark and quiet?" Tai asked as he held my hand tighter.  
  
"Not normally. Everyone must be out."  
  
"At the same time?" he said sarcastically. I shrugged and continued walking to my apartment.  
  
"Matt, even your apartment's dark. Where is everyone?"  
  
"Tai, stop complaining." He stuck his tongue out at me. I grinned evilly and bit down on it. He yelped in pain and quickly put his tongue back in his mouth.  
  
"That'll teach you, won't it?" I said with a smirk. He nodded quickly.  
  
"Yes. Ow, that hurt!" he whined while sucking on his tongue. I rolled my eyes and stopped at my door.  
  
"Hey, it's dark here too." I said. Tai rolled his eyes.  
  
"No really?" he said sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, sarcasm is my bit. You're is to be the bishonen."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"That's my word too!" He just grinned and pointed at the door.  
  
"Are we going to go in or not?" he asked me. I nodded and grabbed the handle with my free hand. I opened the door and stepped in.  
  
"Matt, it's really dark in here." Tai whined as he moved closer to me.  
  
"What? It's not like you're afraid of the dark." I retorted. Tai didn't say anything.  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"No." He mumbled, but moved even closer. I rolled my eyes and moved inside a bit further.  
  
"Well, don't worry about it, I'll turn on the lights in a sec." I reassured him as I ran my hand along the wall.  
  
"Hey Matt, the switch is back here." Tai pulled me back a few steps. I turned around and felt the walls.  
  
"Aha! The little piece of.." I muttered to myself. I felt the switch and turned the lights on.  
  
"SURPRISE!" a bunch of voices shouted at once. I jumped about 5 feet in the air and spun around so fast I almost fell. Thankfully, I have a boyfriend with fast reflexes. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of all my friends and family and a very decorated house.  
  
"Happy birthday, Matt!" Sora and Mimi squealed as they ran up towards me. I let go of Tai and allowed them to hug me. Everybody else started saying happy birthday to me.  
  
"Ah guys, you didn't have to do this." I told them as I let go of them. I turned back towards Tai.  
  
"Did you know about this?" I asked him.  
  
"Maybe." He said with an innocent grin. I rolled my eyes and turned back to everyone else.  
  
"Wow, everybody came! Mom, Dad, TK, Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, Kari, Davis, Yolei, Cody, Ken, Jamie, Dawson, Kenji, Rei. I feel so loved." I said. Everyone started to laugh. (A/N: Jamie, Dawson, Kenji and Rei are just made up band members since I don't know their real names. *shrugs*)  
  
"Well you are, you dork." Tai said with a grin. Everything was quiet for a bit. Suddenly Mimi jumped up.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's party!" She shouted. She pointed at Davis and he turned on my stereo. Music soon filled the air and everyone started chattering and doing their own thing. Kari, TK and our parents disappeared into the kitchen, Mimi started dancing with Joe, and the others were dancing and just hanging out. I was sitting in an armchair with Tai practically in my lap. Sora walked up to us and smiled.  
  
"So." Tai and I looked at each other.  
  
"So what?" we said simultaneously. She rolled her eyes but laughed.  
  
"Are you two together now?"  
  
"Yea, you could say that." I answered her while Tai nodded.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Right after you guys left." Tai replied.  
  
"So my plan did work." She said in a cocky tone.  
  
"What plan?" I asked cautiously.  
  
"Never mind, Matt." Tai mumbled and twisted uncomfortably in my lap.  
  
"No, I wanna know. What plan?" I asked Sora.  
  
"Well, you see, Mimi and I figured that you've always liked Tai. Tai told us that he liked you about 2 weeks ago. Actually he told me and I told Mimi but that's not the point. Anyway so we were walking in the mall when he told me. He started asking about how we could get him to like you and stuff. I saw the poster for the contest and bingo. We figured if he did the contest, you would notice him and realize your feelings and junk." She explained.  
  
"Wait, so you knew he was a judge before you talked me into doing the contest?" Tai squawked. Sora nodded quickly and turned back to me.  
  
"So obviously it worked, didn't it?"  
  
"Yea, I guess you could say it did. Although Kei and Draco helped too."  
  
"Who's Draco and how the hell did Kei help?"  
  
"Draco's a friend of mine. He was on the judge panel too. He helped me figure out everything basically. And Kei made me realize what a creep he really is and that I should tell Tai everything so I can be with him 24/7 and protect him." She raised her eyebrow and shook her head.  
  
"Ok, sure. Anyway, congratulations guys. You deserve to be together." She said and turned around. "Jamie, get your cute ass over here." She yelled as she made her way over to my drummer. I chuckled a bit and turned my attention back to Tai. Only to find him glaring at me.  
  
"What?" I asked him cautiously.  
  
"You think I need to be protected all the time?" he asked me sharply.  
  
"Not ALL the time, but I mean....you can't always defend yourself." I said carefully.  
  
"I can defend myself just fine, Yamato."  
  
"Oh really? Who's the one who almost drowned? Who's the one who almost got his ass kicked at the mall? Who's the one who got hurt at the park when we were kids?" I said furiously.  
  
"That doesn't mean anything!"  
  
"Like hell, Tai. You're not as high and invincible as you think you are." I reminded him. He sighed and sank into my chest again.  
  
"I guess you're right." I smiled and played with his hair.  
  
"Now see, I like you better when you aren't fighting with me."  
  
"Whatever." We both started laughing and just enjoyed ourselves. Suddenly Kari came bouncing up to us.  
  
"Hey guys!" she greeted us cheerfully.  
  
"Hey kid, what's going on?" Tai asked his sister. Her smile grew wider when she saw our position.  
  
"So you guys are finally together huh?"  
  
"Yes, why is everyone asking us that?" I asked. She shrugged.  
  
"Who knows? But anyway, guess what, Tai?" she changed the subject.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Mom and Dad said you could do it." Tai looked at her and tried to decide if she was telling the truth.  
  
"Are you serious?" he asked finally.  
  
"Yea, after they read the paperwork and stuff. You can." Tai smiled really wide and started moving around.  
  
"YES! THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!" He shouted happily. I felt totally lost in this conversation.  
  
"What are you talking about?" I asked him.  
  
"This guy came from Abercrombie and Fitch as a model scout and he wants me to join the modeling program. And now I can! I actually have the chance to be a real world-wide model!" he exclaimed, very excited by the concept of being a model.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But who cares?" he grinned. I shrugged and held him closer.  
  
"I don't care right now. Let's just focus on today." I whispered to him. He nodded and started looking around the room. The music has suddenly stopped and Mimi was standing in front of the room.  
  
"Hey everybody, before things get TOO out of hand, I vote we let Matt open his presents!" she suggested. Everybody started talking at once and placing the presents in a pile in front of Tai and me.  
  
"You plan on getting off of me any time soon?" I asked him.  
  
"Of course not. You're too comfortable." He replied with a lazy smile. I rolled my eyes and focused on the pile in front of me.  
  
"Wow, thanks everybody." I addressed them all as I picked up the first present.  
  
"Who's it from?" TK asked me from his corner.  
  
"Sora. And put that video camera down, Takeru Takaishi." I said without even looking up.  
  
"You're no fun." TK pouted as he pretended to turn it off. But I know he left it running anyway. I ripped open the package and pulled out a set of tickets for the Good Charlotte concert.  
  
"Sora, you are a miracle worker you know that?" I said as I checked them over to see if they were real.  
  
"Yup. Did you even bother to read the card?" she asked me. I gave her a sheepish grin and retrieved the card. I opened it up and found a small packet.  
  
'Hey Matt, happy birthday. The tickets are for yours and Tai's first date. This is for your bedroom after. Have fun. ;) Sora.' I read it through and realized what the packet was. I felt my face go slowly red.  
  
"Not cool." I mumbled under my breath and glared at her. She just smiled and winked.  
  
"Open the next one, Yama." Tai interrupted my thoughts. I picked out the biggest one next.  
  
"From Mom and Dad. You both actually agreed on something?" I asked my parents.  
  
"Oh shut up and just open it." My dad said jokingly. I dragged it into my lap and on Tai and opened it.  
  
"This is freakin' heavy." I commented. I pulled away the last of the paper and turned it over. I took one look at it and gasped.  
  
"You guys bought me a brand new guitar?" I said in awe. My mom nodded.  
  
"Your father and TK said yours was so old so we decided to get you a better one."  
  
"Awesome! Thanks!" I exclaimed as I examined it. Tai however had other ideas.  
  
"You can look at it later. Open the next one!"  
  
"Whose party is this, yours or mine?"  
  
"Yours.....but my rules." I stuck my tongue out at him and picked up the next package.  
  
"From TK. Ok, it's square." I said as I opened it. I took away the last of the paper and chucked it at my brother.  
  
"I told you to turn that camera off!" I whined as the paper rebounded.  
  
"But you're so photogenic. I can't help it. Did you even look at my present?" I didn't actually.  
  
"Final Fantasy 7. Cool, thanks. BUT TURN OFF THE CAMERA!"  
  
"No way. Just keep opening your presents." TK instructed me. I cursed at him some more, but did as I was told. As this continued, I got a whole bunch of great stuff: CDs, Video games, clothes from my dad even though he got me the guitar, cash, gift cards, a new skateboard from Jamie since he crashed and trashed mine, and some DVDs like Meet the Parents, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Legally Blonde (a inside joke between me and Kari.)  
  
"Thanks everybody. This has been great." I said. Then I realized something.  
  
"Tai, where's your present?" I asked him. He looked at me for a moment, then slapped the palm of his hand to his head.  
  
"I'm SO sorry, Yama. I got so wrapped up in the contest that I didn't get you a present! I'm sorry." He said as he buried his head into my chest. I shook my head and laughed.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. I don't blame you. Contest was too much stress on you. Besides, having you is the only present that I want." I told him.  
  
"Awwww!" Everyone said at the same time.  
  
"Oh shut up." I said and everyone started laughing. The music came back on and everyone started talking again. Tai sat watching me and played with his pockets. Suddenly he jumped up.  
  
"Wait a sec, Matt!" he said as he jumped off my lap. He ran through the front hall and out the front door. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at me.  
  
"What?" I asked with a shrug. Everyone just stared at me and then went back to doing whatever they were doing. I sighed and sank back into my chair. Sora came over to me and sat down on the arm of the chair.  
  
"What'd you say to him?" she asked me. I shrugged and shook my head.  
  
"Nothing. He said he didn't have a present, but then he's all like, "Wait a sec!" and ran away."  
  
"Hmm....well, here he comes." She said and got up. She walked away and Tai came back to me.  
  
"What was that all about?" I asked him. He didn't say anything but shoved a box into my hand.  
  
"What's this?" I asked suspiciously.  
  
"Just open it you dumbass." Tai said. I looked at the box and tore off the paper.  
  
"A jewelry box?" I raised my eyebrow.  
  
"Just open it!" Tai persisted. I shrugged and opened it. A golden chain fell out. I picked it up and looked at it. It was a golden locket in the shape of a wolf head with a sapphire blue eye.  
  
"It's just something I found a long time ago. It just reminded me of you." Tai said. I prodded at it and lifted the latch. Inside was my favorite picture of us.  
  
"Do you remember when this was taken?" I asked him. He grinned and nodded.  
  
"Yup. When we were 12 at the beach." He replied. I returned the smile. Kari had just started taking photography. We were at the beach. Tai was standing in the water and he had me in his arms with one on my back and under his legs.  
  
"That's when I first realized I loved you." Tai interrupted my thoughts. I shook my head and grinned.  
  
"Thanks Tai." I said as I put it on.  
  
"Did you even bother reading the card?" he asked me. I gave him an embarrassed smile. I picked up the card and started to read it.  
  
'Dear Yamato,  
  
Do you have any idea how much I love you? Take the entire solar system and multiply it by a million. You're the best friend I could ever have and I'm eternally grateful. You and I have been through so much together it's not even funny. From the first time we met to me almost getting my ass kicked and you saved me to the modeling contest. I would be lost in this cruel world without you. I'm glad that we're together now. I hope we can stay that way too. I promise you right now, I will always love you Yamato Ishida. Don't you dare forget it. You take up all the space in my heart. Keep your spirit and attitude. Don't let me make you go soft. Happy Birthday, Hun. You'll always have a special meaning to me.  
  
Love you always, Taichi Kamiya.'  
  
By the end of his letter I was in tears. Who ever would have thought that Tai was such a sweetheart? I feel so special now.  
  
"I know it sounds weird, but it's just what I was thinking at the time." Tai explained to me. I wiped my eyes and pulled him down into my lap and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you so much." I whispered into his hair. He smiled and kissed me.  
  
"Anything for you, darling." He replied. I returned the smile. Suddenly the lights went out again.  
  
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Yamato, Happy Birthday to you!" everyone sang as Dad carried the cake out to me.  
  
"Go ahead Matt, make a wish." Dad told me. My face glowed in the candlelight as I thought about it. What could I possibly want? I have a great family, awesome friends, and a lovable boyfriend. Boyfriend......that's it! I had my wish.  
  
'I wish that Tai and I could and would, shall and will, always love eachother and be together no matter what.' I thought to myself and blew out the candles. The room became pitch black again and everyone started clapping. Tai leaned down and kissed me again. I think he enjoys it too much. But who's complaining?  
  
"Happy Birthday, Matt. I love you." He said as he planted butterfly kisses all the way down my neck. I sighed and smiled. I knew now, no matter what, my wish would easily come true.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** AND BAM! The story is complete! Thanks again to all you wonderful reviewers out there. And if you want, there will be a sequel to this. And even if you don't want it, there'll be a sequel anyway, lol. But let me know. See ya later people!  
  
Vulpix 


End file.
